Crona's Quest
by bigbook29
Summary: Many years had passed since the Kishin's awakening and resealing, and the world is now broken. The demon swordsman wanders freely now, searching for the six concepts that gave all life to everything that exist. Each in the form of a special gem. But while his goal may be pure, the journey for such power might cause the boy to become a mad titan. *post-manga & X-over Marvel's Thanos
1. Prologue

Dark.

That was the only word that could describe anything for him.

Dark...darker...and somehow even more Dark than that...all of which was in complete silence.

Whatever words could have been said were said long ago. Wither it be words of regret, anger, fear, love...they were said already. Leaving only the darkness, void of all feelings or temperature.

Only silence is left.

Being here, with no words...one starts to think back on their life. Asking questions like 'was it worth it', 'will she ever come back', 'am I really doing anything by locking myself here'.

But even with all these questions running through one's head...there was always the hope. Hope that the answer is 'yes'.

But even with the answer of hope...there were times in the darkness when the doubt came. 'It wasn't worth it', 'She left you behind', 'you're doing nothing, expect being worthless'. The words of doubt would come digging through one's head.

It was with these times the black blood child would allow tears. Small tears that would run down their face. The child wanted to cry out, they wanted to give into their own despair, as the thoughts of doubt continued to plague their mind. To open the emergency exit, and let the Madness be their comfort once more.

After all, most of their life was and still is spent within it. Now it was given shape, to become their tomb in order to seal away that pathetic shell of a false god.

Though saying that, the thought of 'who was the pathetic shell?' did enter the child's mind. It was only just more doubt, trying to force its way to the child's soul. But the child did have something to fight against it.

A memory.

A single memory of one person, was all the child needed. A girl with green eyes, and blonde hair. It was of her giving a smile that warm the child's black heart, that was the child's hope. The only thing that could ever make the broken small soul of this child, feel even a little alive.

It was with that memory, that the child chose to stay behind in the dark...the cold...quiet dark.

Suddenly a noise is heard. it's faint but it's still there.

It was the child's 'prisoner'.

The other false god, Asura. The first son of the reaper and the reason why the child was here. As a sacrifice, the demon swordsman would hold him here, trapped within the very same blood that gave him life.

The child's black blood.

Though, there wasn't much to understand what the Kishin was doing, as he had tried before to drive the child insane and allow him to escape so much that now would be embarrassing for him to make another attempt. That is all the child thought it was. Just another attempt.

But then came the feeling of something strange.

A tremor.

The very ground under the child's feet shook, as if whatever place they were in was moving...or rather falling. The child lost their sense of balance and collapses, feeling the whole force of something pulling them down, further and further into the dark.

The child tries to scream to give some kind of sound as the feeling of heat and gravity came at them like a ravenous monster. Try as the child could, there was no way for them to pull themselves from the force shoving them.

And then suddenly a sound comes...the sound of a thundering, and destructive, clash rivaling that of a the largest of earthquakes. Very cities fell, and mountains shook from its collision. Large impacts were made, as if the very sky itself was falling and in the center of it all...was a black, cocoon-like object.

From then on...many days passed...before days turn to weeks...weeks turn to months...months turn to years...many...many years. For that time, the small crater holding the object was left alone. Even...as the worst of things came, the heaviest of rains, the coldest of winters, the hardest of winds, nothing cause change to the cocoon...or what was living inside it.

It simply stayed where it fell. Ever so softly pulsing, as it were breathing. It's outside was as black as the night, harden to the point where nothing can break through it, yet soft in appearance.

After many years had passed, one day, something changed. The silence of the area was broken by a noise, a single impact of something trying to break loose. It came again, and again. This noise came from within the cocoon, before finally, it creaks...and a hand burst out from inside.

It was all black, and very skinny in appearance. Grasping around it in a panic, as it began to try and pull itself out of the cocoon. "Agh...agh...agh..." The creature mouthed out, as it pulled itself to its feet, pieces of the cocoon falling around it as if it were made of glass.

The Creature was human-like in shape, looking to have no features on it. Its body was entirely black, almost like that of a living silhouette. "agh...agh..." It stood hunched over, as it raises its hands to its head, where its face would be. "Can't see...agh...ah...W-what's going on? I-" A soft, very soft and young voice spoke, before it began to cough.

It reaches forward to its face and pulls at the black covering it. As the Creature pulled it continued to mutter to himself. "C-can't...breath...something on my face, I...I need to get it off." With a final pull, the black part of the Creature's face was ripped off...showing part of a face of a young human boy.

His black eye quickly looked around in a panic. He sees the black strain of something in his hands, before he continues to rip it off from his face. Shred after shred, piece after piece, the boy lets out a sigh of relief as he finally shows himself to be The Demon swordsman, Crona.

* * *

Crona's Quest

* * *

Taking a hesitated step out of the remains of his 'cocoon', Crona looked around himself. "W-where am I?" He asks softly out loud, taking in the city around him or rather what was left of one. He was standing in the middle of a creaked and broken up street. Walking out of a small crater, he could see buildings all around him. With them either being toppled, or just barely standing.

What looked to be derby from it all, littered around him. Many of the buildings either had most of their windows broken, some even had downright holes going right through them. The sky itself looked...odd. As Crona looked above, he found...the largest mass of clouds he ever seen. It spans for as far as the sky itself, covering everything that could be see above. Though it was colorful. The clouds were a light shade of blue, one could even see that small peaks of light going right through it. Though there was no sun in sight beyond it.

Crona gave his eyes a hard blink as he tried to take everything in at once. His eyes scanning around him as he didn't understand what he was seeing. "Wait...I'm back home?" He mutters as he turns around for a bit. "No, wait...how is this possible?" He tries to think, from what he could remember last.

"It was...dark, very dark. I...I heard Asura...he was saying something" He mutters, trying to recount everything he could while his mind was still railing from it all. "Then I felt a shake...and...I was falli-..." He stops for a moment as he looks back to his 'cocoon'...and seeing the impact.

He retraces it toward through one of the buildings and sees a very large hole going through it.

"...I fell...back home." He mutters, taking a few steps back as his eyes widen fully in shock. Letting out a single breath as he leans his back along a fallen part of a building. Trying to make sense as best he could.

He tries to breath, to calm himself down...only for him to quickly threw his hand up to cover his nose and mouth. The stench of sulfur and some else in the air assaulted his nose. Making him gag for breath as the air fought against him.

Trying to fight off the smell as best he could Crona calls out. "H-hello!" His voice echoing all around him, looking around for someone nearby. Or at least the source of the smell...both of which he found nothing of. Crona then begins to walk forward.

Looking around as he does.

Several minutes of time passed as the demon swordsman walked on through the streets of the disturbed city. With ever second or so he would call out again. "H-hello...anybody?!" He would call out over and over again. Yet there was no one to answer him, even as he passed what looked to be apartments or stores.

No matter how much he called out, no one responded to him.

Crona lets his head drop slightly, looking down with disappointment in his eyes. He hoped for answers...for someone to point him in the right direction...and yet nothing came. He stops all movement, standing in place as he gives a blank stare around him once more.

Questions of what had happened enter his mind. What happened, where was he, how did he escape, what about Asura, is he alone, is there no one else here, how long was he gone, and finally...and most important to him...

If this happened also to Death city. Crona quickly placed his hands to either side of his head as he thoughts of his friends came. Worry and fear shooting right through his whole body, making him shake and twitch. He began to mumble to himself. Pulling up names of all the people he knew. "-Liz, Patty, BlackStar, Mr. Spirit, Mr. Stein, Ms. Marie, Mak-" He stops himself and most important name came.

Suddenly his knees became weak and he falls to the floor on them. Sweat began to form, as his teeth chattered against each other, as his eyes dilated to a pale color. "No...no...no...no,no,no,no,no,no,NO!" Crona spoke with obvious pain in his voice.

Desperately shaking his head to stop the thoughts before they can enter his already broken mind. The thoughts of awful things that could have happen. His grip increases on his fingers as they dug into his head, as he continued to shake it...trying his hardest to not let his own fears corrupt the beautiful memories he had of her. He refused them to do that. He didn't want that poison, that filth anywhere near the image of her. Anywhere near his hope.

Crona pulls one hand away...and drives a fist, right to the side of his skull. A loud impact was made against his head, the simple sound of the hit easily destroyed any silence in the whole block of the ruined city. Before it is followed by another...and another loud slam. As Crona gives madness filled punches to his own head. As if it were some desperate plea to stop his mind.

As he pulls back to give out another punch, his eighteenth so far, suddenly he stops...and looks up in surprise at his own hand when a familiar voice spoke to him. " **I take ONE nap for five fucking minutes...and you're trying to cave in your own skull?!** " A fierce, and heavily annoyed voice screamed in Crona's head. A voice that brought...a tear in to the teen's eye.

"R-Ragnarok?" Crona ask out loud to voice, it slightly quivering as he lets his hands fall to his sides. " **No, I'm the Easter Bunny; here to give you colored eggs from my non-existent ass!** " Ragnarok says back, as Crona quickly moves to his feet with a look of complete relief and happiness.

"Ragnarok I...I miss you so much." He tells him as he holds a hand over his heart. Feeling his heartbeat become erratic for a moment, as Ragnarok spoke. " **Aww that's sweet. Now would you kindly tell me, what the fuck happened here?!** **Seriously I don't remember jack and shit...and jack seems to have left town, because shit is everywhere.** " Ragnarok remarks, as he could see through Crona's eyes at the destroyed city around them.

Ignoring Ragnarok's comment on the town's wellbeing, Crona ask. "You don't remember? What is the last thing you do remember?" He could hear Ragnarok give an annoyed groan for a moment as he responds. " **Shit...em...Actually...I barely remember anything. Last thing I can piece together was when that you gave that thing to Ms. One eye. A lot after that is...pretty fuzzy."** He admitted, sounding slightly unsure of himself.

"W-what, you don't remember anything after that?!" Crona says, in complete shock by his partner's words. " **Well I still remember you being a little bitch, so at least that hasn't change.** " Ragnarok replies to him, making Crona look to the floor.

For a moment Crona became silent, as he moves to grip a hand over his right arm. Remember all that happened after that...'mistake' of his. Crona wanted badly to just pretend that nothing happened...but he knew Ragnarok wasn't that dumb to believe anything he could come up with...and he also knew that he wasn't that good of a liar anyway.

" **So, you just gonna stand there holding yourself, or you gonna tell me what the fuck happened? Preferably while we are NOT just standing around in the middle of a destroyed street!"** Ragnarok said, making Crona give a nod...as he takes one step forward and begins to explain.

He told Ragnarok all that happened to them afterward. Being slightly surprise as Ragnarok stayed quiet most of the time, aside from a few 'comments' that only he would throw every now and again. As Crona spoke, he continued to walk as well. Moving passed building after building, occasionally making turns when he needs to. As they walked to what looked to be a completely over grown park Crona reached the end of his recollection.

"-and then...I just woke up from that...black sphere and then I was...back here, home I guess we can call it." Crona says, stopping as he still was holding his right arm, while he shrugged. After a long pause Ragnarok then said. " **Okay...so let me just...pull this all in...** " He tells Crona, sounding to be...having a mix of feelings right now.

" **...We pretty much committed genocide, on a WHOLE city...Gonna take a moment to process tha-okay moment over, WHAT THE FUCK?!** " He shouts, making Crona's head recoil back a little from the sheer volume of his voice. "I-I-" He tries to reply before Ragnarok continues, but he never gets a chance. " **I mean shit! And then what else...oh yeah...we pretty much MURDERED a Meister and, more importantly a DEATH SCYTHE! We could do that?!** "

Crona gives a low sigh, as he moves to a near-by large rock. Taking a seat on it as Ragnarok began to go through his freak-out. " **And-and-and what the hell does a clown have to do with anything?! That doesn't even make sense! And it was because of him...we were able to use more madness for me to form a third arm?! I needed a clown for that?!** "

Crona looks down along himself and sees the black substance was covering from his neck below, over his whole body like some kind of skintight wrap, all the way to his hands and feet. With a shaking right hand, Crona moves it over his left, slowly ripping off the black substance that covered it...and letting out a small sigh of relief when he sees his hand was normal underneath it.

" **And then we...we KILLED Medusa, which by the way, REALLY freaked me out with how you told me that all calm...and even as I'm say it now, you really don't seem at all fazed by it!** **Oh my god...why did you go into DETAIL about it!? You literally explained each time you stabbed me into her!** " He shouts as Crona continuing with the other hand, allowing both his hands free from the black substance that was covering them. As he closes his hands, letting him feel his own fingers move along his palm for the first time in a long while he said. "I...I know how I made it sound, but I just thought you wanted to be sure." Crona feels Ragnarok move along inside him as if he was running around in a panic.

" **WELL, I guess I got no reason to NOT be unsure about her death. I mean, you explained in very great detail how she bleed out on the floor. Ughhh...** " Ragnarok says with a shudder at the end that sent at small chill up Crona's spine.

Giving a quick shake of his head to get rid of the feeling Crona moves his legs up to his chest and calls out to the Demon Sword. "Ragnarok please, calm down." But he could feel Ragnarok was nowhere near done at this point. " **How are you not freaked out from this?! But you know what, FINE...let's move passed that...to the big 'WAIT WHAT' of them all. We fought...a fucking god...and won!** " He shouts with Crona feeling him, as if he was throwing his arms around wildly from inside him.

"Um...we only won because-" Crona tries to say, before Ragnarok loudly shouts. " **SHUT UP! Don't try to over complicate it, we won that's what manners.** " Ragnarok tells him, sounding to be both angered and confuse at once. " **Still trying to wrap my head around being on the moon, so the least you talk about that can of worms, the better.** "

Crona tilts his head a little as he asks. "Can of worms?" From inside Ragnarok could be heard giving a groan. " **...ugh...Never mind.** " They stood in silence for a moment, leaving Crona to reach for his feet, ripping apart the black substance from them, showing that they were bare. He stopped just above his ankles, seeing closer how the black substance was wrapped around him, much like his robe. Only...not. For a brief second Crona wonder just what was he covered in, as what it felt like was thick and even a little sticky, and with what he ripped off...it seemed to just...fall apart when away from him...but he didn't have long to think of that as Ragnarok spoke.

" **So...let me ask, at the moment...was there really nothing better you can think of then screwing both of us over?** " He asks, as Crona lightly touches his feet back to the floor...avoiding small rocks that were there. "What are you talking abou-" " **You know damn well, what the fuck I'm talking about. Being such a hero and sacrificing yourself...and by hero, I mean idiot.** " Ragnarok says in a near-sarcastic tone.

Crona just looked to the floor for a moment, as he moved his hand back to gripping is right arm. " **I mean, seriously man. I cannot believe you did something THAT stupid! And for what, that stupid cow-** " "D-Don't talk about her like that!" This time it was Crona that interrupted, as he squeezed his arm tighter.

If Ragnarok could gag, now would be a perfect time to. " **Oh now, you can talk back! God...I just can't believe you do something like that, at least without even talking to me about it!** " He says as Crona moves to his feet along the floor slightly, before moving to stand up.

He begins to walk down alongside what seems to be a park. "Y-you...weren't around." Crona tells him as his eyes scan around. Looking through the park. The plant life seemed...off. It was overgrown and oddly colored. Crona could feels as if the very life surrounding it all was breathing...pulsing...ready to drag in whatever it may deem as food. He takes a small step away from it, just in case.

" **And you never thought to ask, 'where's Ragnarok' or 'Geez things are pretty boring without that amazing Ragnarok around'.** "Crona wanted to sigh as he hears Ragnarok complain, turning his attention away from the park he holds a hand to the side of his head and mutters. "...I wasn't myself at the time."

Though that only seemed to annoy Ragnarok even more as he shouted. " **Geez, I could have told you that. When did you notice, was it after the whole drowning city in black blood or murdering Medusa that you went 'Wait a fucking minute, something's wrong'?** " Crona gave his shoulder a small nudge as he feels Ragnarok moving around him again.

"Ragnarok...why won't you come out?" He ask, as he continues to feel the demon sword navigating through his own body. Ragnarok gives an agitated cry as he tried to force his way through Crona's back. Crona waited feel his skin break, expect for Ragnarok to give form...only he didn't. " **Damn it, damn it, damn it! I can't get out!** " He shouts...sounding a bit tired while doing so. Although this was bad...it did also make Crona almost thankful as that would mean Ragnarok wasn't gonna take his anger out on him physically.

...Didn't mean that he still wasn't gonna do it vocally. " **Great just fucking amazing! First, I wake up from the best nap of my life, only to find your stupid ass got us stuck on the fucking moon for who knows how long, then you tell me probably some of the most biggest piles of shit we've have to step on, which apparently I missed out on, and now I can't even stretch my fucking nonexistent legs, and on top of all that, the planet is apparently a post-apocalyptic fuckhole where we don't even KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! I mean come the fuck-** "

Crona wished so badly that he could hold his hands over his ears, and silent Ragnarok's ranting...but he knew that only upset him even more. So he could only listen on as the Demon sword began to complain about everything around them, mostly how everything seemed to resemble 'cow feces' to him. From the rocks on the road to the buildings around them. While it was a rather childish way of doing it...Crona knew better, knowing that this was just Ragnarok adjusting to everything around him but as he continued to describe things around them...Crona realizes something.

All along the buildings, and the shops that filled the streets, of all the pieces of debris and glass that was on the floor, throughout all the streets to even the destroyed wrecks of what could be even cars or other types of machines...Crona noticed...if something bad happen here...something was missing. "Where's the blood?"

Ragnarok paused mid-rant as he hears Crona words and ask. " **Wait, what?** " Crona turns to look behind him and at all he walked passed as he spoke to Ragnarok. "...T-there's no blood at all." Crona says as he remembers back to all that he walked...and as far as he could tell...not a single drop of the liquid was to on the floor or walls of all he saw.

Crona and Ragnarok were no strangers to destruction...they know the kind of horrible things that could happen during something as simple as an earthquake, but for all this to happen and not find a body or even a single drop of blood in sight...was too odd not to question. " **Wait a minute...That's not right.** " Ragnarok says, with Crona slightly nodding his head. "L-look around...I mean, the buildings are all destroyed with a lot of them looking close to falling over...and there's so much broken things around that must have fallen from them..." He says with Ragnarok finishing for him as they both looked up to a building that was slightly tilted to the side. " **And to believe that not a single person got hurt by it, is total bullshit. Now...where are bodies and blood?** "

The two became very confuse by this...so much so, that as Crona was keeping his back to the park...he didn't notice that some of the vines from the tree...began to move. "Maybe...everyone managed to get out before what happened came." Crona offered, though he could feel Ragnarok stir inside him...as if he was shaking his head.

" **No, that's not right. I mean look at the size of some of these buildings...this is a big city, that would be impossible to see that everyone got out. There would still be looters and shit...and yet we didn't even pass a fucking body or anything here...what is there a guy cleaning after everything around here?** " Crona gives him a small shrug, as he looks up to the sky. Seeing how it was still covered in odd light blue clouds with barely a few bits of light poking through it all. "I'm worried Ragnarok." Crona tells him, as sees the unmoving clouds weren't even that high up...only just above some of the buildings, with a few even being tall enough to stab into the clouds themselves.

" **Well...at least we can agree that this can't get anymore fucked.** " Ragnarok says...before suddenly a snapping sound is heard and Crona feels a rope-like object wrap around his neck, and wrists. Before he could even realize what it was, Crona is forcefully dragged from behind by a powerful yank. Dragging passed several trees and bushes into the overgrown park. Giving a high yelp at the sudden pull, is taken by surprise as he sees all the plant life he passed...move on their own, covering the entrance that it dragged him through. " **Oh, I just had to fucking say something!** "

Crona tries to grab on the floor, for anything to stop himself. His hand landed along a tree root and he quickly tries to grab on to it...only for it to make itself slip through his hands. Crona gives a small shout as he thrown across the park, his back slammed into a tree trunk. He was pinned there, as his arms were forced back, still be pulled from the vines. "W-wha-" He tries to speak only for the vine around his neck to tighten.

He tries to pull his arms from vines...Only able to bring them so far in front of him with strength he didn't even knew he possessed. Just then his eyes look ahead...as he could see the wild life around him begin moving closer to him. As if the branches were actually the hands of long slender creatures...and the bushes were just costumes for small hairy monsters. Crona moves his feet up along the tree trunk and begins to push himself free, feeling the vines along his wrist and neck try pulling back as hard as they could.

Crona grins his teeth as he throws himself forward...before suddenly crying out in shock as he falls face first to the floor. "...ow." He mutters as he moved to his knees and saw the vines on his wrist and neck were snapped apart, most likely from stain of him pulling back. Before he could even react to being free, the ground underneath him erupts as roots shoot out of it.

Wrapping around his hands and feet and slamming him back, face first to the ground. Crona press his hands to the floor as he tries to push himself back up, Ragnarok screaming something within him, that he couldn't pay attention to right now as he sees more and more plant life close in around him.

As Crona struggles against the roots holding his arms down, he couldn't help the random memory of this kind of scenario that he once saw in an old movie, with a girl in the woods...with evil trees as they-...Crona's eyes widen slightly as the memories plays. " **Hey, was I the only one that suddenly remember that one girl from Evil De-** " "Not helping Ragnarok!" Crona shouts back, as a faint blush grows on his face, as he continues to fight off the plants. " **How you think I feel, you're getting your ass handed to you by fucking Mother Gaia here, and I CAN'T DO SHIT!** " Ragnarok shouts in a more panicked tone with Crona feeling that he was still trying to form out of somewhere of his body.

It was there Crona and him both hear the leaves above them shake, with Crona turning his head to see from the corner of his eyes...as the trees on top open to reveal...a very...very large plant.

It...looked like a plant with roots and vines growing out of it. Yet...he could also see that it wasn't. There were parts of it that just looked weird, and mixed together almost as if it were painfully melted together into one shape. Crona could make out its Crocodile-like snout, and jaw with its many teeth sticking out of it...even some coming right along the outside jaw as if it were poking out of the skin or had grown over it. It had no eyes, but had small horns coming from its head. Along its sides were spider-like arms...that were continuingly dripping with slime.

" **...oh, what the fuck is that?!** " Ragnarok says in disbelief as Crona freezes upon seeing the large plant monster. "I-it's a b-big p-plant monsterrrrr!" Crona screams as suddenly the monster shoots several of its vines out to, wrapping around him and shoving him straight up into its open mouth, eating him whole.

...or so it would have. As Crona enter its mouth...the creature seemed...to gag and wheeze...till suddenly it spats out Crona, sending back face first into the floor, covered with slime from the creature's mouth. It keeps giving out small whining sounds as it closes the leaves around it, disappearing from sight.

" **HEY, YOU'RE NO, FUCKING FILET MIGNON EITHER ASSHOLE!** " Ragnarok shouts as Crona moves to a seating position, raising a leg up as he noticed a part of black substance covering him was ripped open...allowing his left leg to be completely free with it just barely covering his 'privates'. Not that Crona really paid mind to that...as he was currently more focus on the slime covering him from head to toe.

"Ew...I...I don't know how to deal with...this gross stuff." He mutters while covering his mouth to give a small cough. A disgusted look was on his face as he pulls his hand back and sees the see-through slime was connecting from his chin to his hand. "Gross, gross, gross!" Crona shouts as he throws his hands aside trying to get rid of the slime covering him.

He could hear Ragnarok give out a groan within him as he says. " **Oh, quit being a pussy about it.** " Crona slowly moves from his seating position on the floor, holding his hands up to his chest level as he watches slime drip from then. "Ugh...why is it sooo cold?!" Crona mutters as he feels the slime drip down from his hair, to his cheek...sending a chill down his spine.

Suddenly Crona notices a few roots on the floor begin to shake...and the plant beast burst from the floor right under Crona knocking off to the side and hitting his back to a tree trunk. It gave a few small wheezing noises before turning to Crona, a menacing air around it as its wheezing turns to a low hissing noise.

Slightly discombobulated from impact of his head to the tree, Crona looks ahead right as the plant Beast moves to strike.

It was for a single moment, a moment so fast only a few would be able to catch it. As Crona sees the beast heading directly to him, he held his arm up defensively from fear, a flash came before his eyes as the beast large fang filled mouth came closer to him...it was an image of the same memory that he held onto during his time on the moon, of the one that saved him from his madness. In the instant that came...something in Crona leaped into action...and from his black eyes came the smalls glimmer of light...

...before it leaps from Crona's eyes, drilling perfectly through the creature's head...the pure force of it alone was enough to send Crona's entire body to the tree, and force his head further against the very floor...outside the overgrown park...two skinny black pillars could be seen, shoot up along the floor to the sky, reaching far out to the city beyond...and cleanly cutting through trees, the ground, and even whole buildings as if they were paper.

As they reached the heavens above the destroyed city, it cut clean through the mass of clouds, paving way for the light to shine through for a moment...till the pillars disappear.

Crona kept his eyes forward, looking up to the two skinny paths, that were clear cut through enough for one to see the sky passed them. He could hear loud sounds of destruction as the ruined buildings fell to the floor. Leaving large dust clouds that could be seen, even from where he was. As he turns his head down, he feels his mouth dry and his throat close on itself...as he sees the plant creature...completely destroyed. Two long cravens of drilled through its body, and ripped open through the top of it.

There weren't any words he could say for what happened. As all he saw before the force of what happened knocked his head back...was everything becoming black in his vision. Luckily for him, Ragnarok was more than happy to fill him in. " **...Did you just shoot fucking lasers from your eyes?** "

"What?" Crona ask barely catching what Ragnarok said as he pulls his legs up, using the tree for support as he moves to stand to his feet, the slime still dripping from him slightly as he gives a few shakes to get rid of it. "I-I don't know what happened." He tells the Demon Sword, as he looks back to the tree tops, seeing the two long paves he made.

He could see the clouds moving to cover the long paves, as if to hide the light from escaping.

Crona holds a hand up to his eyes...he stops as he feels...blood on his cheek. Two strains of blood were leaking down from his eyes. "W-what? H-h-how did I-" " **Don't question it!** " Ragnarok was quick to shout to Crona, making him pause as he was moving a hand over one of his eyes.

"Why not?" Crona ask, as he wipes the 'bloody tears' from his cheeks. " **Look, when something THAT FUCKING AWESOME, just happens...you don't question it...EVER!** " Crona feels himself cringe at Ragnarok's shout, before he lets out a small sigh. Becoming internally worried as he looks off the side and begins to walk through the overgrown park, looking for an exit.

Several minutes passed as Crona was holding himself. Trying to be mindful of all that surrounded him as he stepped pass and around several trees. Making sure the plant life around him wouldn't attack again.

His plan was to find the way he was dragged from, or at least any other way out. He was also trying to keep his mind off what had happened with his eyes. With him never having done something like that before...it really started to worry him what that could mean. For a moment, Crona thinks that maybe he was still going through changes with his body. Something not too far off after all the ones he went through during his...more maddening days.

He didn't have long to think on that as suddenly he hears a faint sound.

Thinking it was another plant monster, Crona looks around in a panic. "Oh no, not again." He mutters in fear...but stops as he hears that the sound was coming not from above him nor under him, but instead near him along the ground. He turns to the direction of the sound finding it behind several vines and tree branches that were in the way.

Thinking it be better to see what it is, then to be surprised by it, Crona gently pushes them aside...as he does he is shock as he sees...another strange monster. This one looking like a mix with a frog and…a normal person.

It seemed to be in the middle of digging through what looked to be wrecked small plane, which was half-way stinking in what looked to be a more swampish area. Its skin had a weird wet look to it, and had a slightly gray-ish and green coloring to it. It had long web fingers, that each had shape black claws at the end. The feet were exactly like that of a frog, with it being noticeably paler on its large toes.

As it stood up to its feet, Crona could see its head and outfit more clearly...and making his eyes widen in shock. It waved a hand through its long, straight, silvery hair and gave a small 'ribbit' sound. Along it's body was an old ruined thigh length black dress with a white polka dot pattern, with most of its colored faded. But what grabbed Crona's attention the most from it... as his eyes scanned its body...they stop as they see what it was placing on its head.

A distinctive orange hat with a frog-like face on it.

He's seen that hat before...Crona held a hand to his head for a moment, trying to think of the reason why the creature's hat seemed familiar...till a memory came to him. A very old one. He knew he saw that hat before...it was on someone that he saw not a lot of...the witch that Medusa had force to join them in exchange for her not to die.

The Frog witch, Eruka.

"...What happened to her?" Crona mutters as remembers back to how she looked compare to now. " **What are we looking at? Did a guy seriously get so lonely that he fucked a toad or something?!** " Ragnarok ask within Crona's head as he saw the frog girl as well.

Crona pulls back a little in shock from Ragnarok sudden comment, before whispering to him. "T-that's Eruka!" A small silence followed as Crona stared at the floor, waiting for Ragnarok's response. He didn't wait long as Ragnarok replied. " **...who?** "

"T-t-the frog witch!" Crona says, a little bit louder and quickly looking back to make sure that she didn't hear him. " **Not ringing any bells.** " Ragnarok tells him as they both watch as the frog girl gave a kicked to some of planes parts, looking to be frustrated about something.

"The one that awaken the Kishin, with the black blood!" Crona continues to tell Ragnarok as the Frog gives another 'ribbit' sound and begins to walk off from their sight. " **Ehhhhhh...one more, give me one more.** "

Getting annoyed by him, Crona nearly shouts. "She's the one Medusa sent when she forced us to betray our friends!" Ragnarok gives a small sound of realization at this. " **Ohhhhh, well...go after her!** "

"W-what!?" Crona says he shock as he could feel Ragnarok push along the muscles of his back, making Crona nearly fall forward before he could catch himself. " **Come on numb nuts, use that head of yours! If that really is her, then she can tell us what the fuck happened while you trapped us on the moon, and everything went to hell. Unless of course you want to try your luck and maybe find another one of those killer weed monsters that nearly ate us and ask it! Till then... follow that toad bitch!** " Ragnarok shouts urging Crona to following the Frog girl.

"B-but what if that isn't her! S-she could be a monster that's wearing her clothi-" Crona tries to say back, becoming nervous as this is really the first other living thing he's come across and not wanting to fight her. " **You can shoot lasers from your eyes; your fear is invalided. GO PUSSY!** " Ragnarok shouts back, as he gives Crona's back another shove.

Crona became hesitant for a moment as he watches the frog girl leave behind the wreckage. While it's true that he wanted to know what she was doing here, and what had happened to everything since he's been trapped...something about her...really unnerved Crona. Thinking that maybe she wasn't herself, as she might have changed much more than just her appearance.

He could remember back with those few moments where he would see her. She didn't seem that bad of a person...but he would also remember how quick a witch may change their personality. Something he learned from his Mother very early in his life. To say he didn't trust her was easy...but...

He wanted answers...no, he needed answers.

Taking a deep breath, Crona gives a determine look...as he walks through the branches and bushes...not noticing the sudden drop off ...resulting in him falling face first right into the thigh-high swamp water. Quickly moving to his hands and knees and spitting out the water that enter his mouth Crona could hear Ragnarok say. " **Real fucking heroic, gold star, by the way I think you spooked her.** " Ragnarok says as Crona quickly looks up, seeing the frog girl look at him in shock, before quickly turning around and running off.

"Wait!" Crona calls out as he pulls himself from the water and gives chase after her. With her having the advantage as she was seemed to be hopping left and right. Using nearby floating logs, or floating parts of the plane to leap ahead. Easily making it back to land, before Crona could as she breaks into a ran. " **Hurry, we're losing her!** " Ragnarok shouts as Crona trying to keep up with the frog girl as best he could. Just making it to land as he rushes after he, deeper into the swamp. "Wait, I just want to talk to you!" Crona yells out to her, as she rushes past trees and brushes...easily rushing pass them as if she had done this many times by now.

Crona follows her as best he could. Moving past all the trees and brushes that she had, just barely catching small glimpse of her as she was quick to try and break eye-contract with him. "Please! Stop running!" Crona calls out, as he tries not to trip along the many roots that filled the wet ground.

" **Damn it, slow down you bitch!** " Ragnarok shouts as the frog girl was not letting up. Crona wasn't either, not even stopping to think anymore. Only thing that was leading him now was instinct and frustration as the chase starts to become drawn out...Crona began to notice that his visibility was starting to worst...as the two begin to enter a more fog filled area of the swamp.

What little glimpse that he could catch, were become much harder to see. Forcing Crona to start relining more on his sense of hearing, just barely able to make out her wet feet hitting the ground or the old bark of a tree. But he refused to lose her. She might have his answers. The answers to what happened, and what became of the rest of the world. Of what happened to his hope.

Without even realizing it, Crona started to get faster. Much faster than before...as he was starting to close the distance between himself and the frog girl. Without even thinking, and barely fast enough for his eyes to keep up with, Crona rushes past the trees and their long branches, hoping over piles of roots before they could even slow him down.

Crona's mind became focus, only on his target. Only on his answers. His body now on auto pilot. Without even realizing it, the frog girl takes a sudden turn left. As Crona turns to follow her, the moment his foot touches the ground...his own momentum was what made him slip along the mucky wet dirt.

Or rather slide, right into a large tree trunk. Not that Crona would let that stop him. Letting his shoulder take the impact, Crona didn't even let it affect him. As he continues to give chase, not even taking the moment to realize the large dent he had made along the tree.

He just keeps running. He can see as fog was getting thicker, he was losing more visibility on the frog girl. He could see though that he was getting close, almost enough that he could reach out and touch her, just a foot away. Something she wasn't gonna allow, as she suddenly leaps upward, right into the treetops, completely out of Crona's sight. "NO WAIT!" Crona shouts, not stopping still as the girl left his eyesight.

"Ah, darn it!" Crona growls as he slams a fist to the tree as he runs past it, leaving a dent in it. He didn't stop running though, as he kept moving forward. He could almost make out the sounds of her moving up above him, right on the branches from above. Jump from one after the other.

He could see the pattern she was heading, without even thinking hard on it Crona rushes a bit forward and slams his shoulder into a tree in front of him. His thought being that if he predicted what tree she was gonna use for its branches next, that he could hit and cause her to lose her balance and fall. Which is what happened.

...what he wasn't expecting was that, the tree would also fall with her. Crona instantly jumping out of the way as the large impact he made in the tree trunk was too much for it, the tree literally fell on itself as if someone was spending hours chopping away on it. " **Holy shit.** " Ragnarok says within Crona's head, before they both saw the frog girl standing up from within the tree leaves.

She was holding her head, looking a bit confuse by what happened, as the large impact of the tree was enough to help clear the fog that was around it a bit. Though that didn't help her see from behind, as the pink haired demon swordsman tackle her down. Gripping around her arms and stomach, while staying on top of her. "Stop running! I only want to talk to you!" Crona says, trying to keep his grip on her wet skin as best he could.

"Get off! Let go of me damn it!" The frog girl shouts as she tries to wiggle out of Crona's arms, with little success on her part. Crona just tightens his hold on her as he hears her voice, completely conforming it for him on who it is. "Please Ms. Eruka stop!" Crona shouts, as suddenly he feels the frog girl freeze in his arms.

She looks back at him, with her milky eyes completely widening in shock. "H-how do you know my name?!" It was there Crona lets go of her and pulls back, moving to his feet as he raises his hands to his chest so he wouldn't scare her away again. "Do you remember me?" He asks, trying not to make any sudden movements as best he could. Remembering how easy it was for her to get spooked.

"My n-name is Crona...Lad-...Medusa's child." At the name of the snake witch, Eruka shoots up to her feet in a full panic, taking a few steps back from him in horror. "P-Please tell me if you remember me." Crona says, as he lowers his head slightly. Her eyes looking at him, up and down as if she were trying to remember him at all.

After a small moment...her eyes widen slightly. "Oh...oh my god...I think it really is you. How is this possible?" She says, leaning back slightly as the memories came to her. Of the child that would follow behind Medusa, looking frighten and scared of nearly everything around him. "S-so you do remember me?!" Crona says, with a relieved look on his face.

The Frog girl just holds a hand up to her lips for a moment. "...I do...ribbit...but how is this possible? Last time I saw you was...no, no something isn't right here." She says, quietly as she looks up and down at Crona again. "...wow, I can't believe it. It's been...so long since I've seen another person." She says, stepping closer to Crona for a moment, making the boy slightly nervous.

He gets stiff as he sees her reach her hands for him, expecting her to hit him, but is shocked as she just grabs his shoulders. "This is amazing! It's been years since I've talked to another person. Come on, let's get you out of the cold here." She says, moving closer to him as she begins to walk forward...leading him through the fog.

Crona felt himself shiver a little at her touch, feeling her web fingers along his back. He had to ignore his first thought in getting away from her. Right now, he needed her to talk to him, and he couldn't do that while running away from her just because her touch felt weird. Pushing aside his paranoid feeling, he let the frog girl lead him through the dense fog, noticing how she seem to know where she was going perfectly.

Easily stepping over roots, and even a few mud puddles on the ground, with the knowledge of only someone that has been through this kind of land for a long...long time. The entire time they walked, Eruka never let go of Crona. Holding her hand right on his back, something Crona really wasn't happy about...neither was Ragnarok.

Crona's reasoning being how her skin felt through his black substance of a robe. Her skin was wet and felt much like the slime he was, and still kinda is, covered in. Also, how she seemed to be...'copping a feel' of him, as Ragnarok might put it, with her giving small squeezes with her fingers. He just didn't know how to deal with her...touching him like this.

Meanwhile Ragnarok on the other hand. " **Stop fucking shaking like a kitten for five seconds! I'm getting motion sickness in here!** " He shouts, making Crona jump a little at his suddenness. "S-sorry!" Crona says, not even realizing that he was doing so. "For what, ribbit?" Eruka says, looking to Crona with a confuse look at his sudden apology.

"N-nothing." Crona stutters out as he looks away from her...just in time for them to stop at what seemed to be...some kind of home, one in the middle of a pond with some skinny rickety bridge leading to it. Walking across it, Crona nervously looks around him... he didn't know how to deal with this place.

The feeling of the wet and moldy wood underneath his bare feet as he walked on, the fog that surrounded the area around them, the way the home looked...it all seemed to be ripped straight out of some kind of horror movie...though then again looking at Eruka again, he might say that is fitting given her monster appearance.

Speaking of the home...it was in poor state, having a very crumbled look to it with what looking to be mud and sticks holding it from caving in on itself. Walking up to the door, or rather a plank of wood that was just leaning on the opening, Eruka moves it aside and walks in. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable." She says, moving aside for him as he nervously steps in from behind her.

If he had thought the outside was bad, the inside looked to be in even worst condition. Whatever she has used for the walls looked as if they were close to falling apart, with only the ground underneath instead of a floor, there didn't even seemed to be rooms...just one big circular spot. In the middle of it all is what looked to be a campfire, with a dirty looking pot over it. " **Wow...and the award for biggest dump goes to...** " Ragnarok says with Crona feeling him move, as if he were crossing his arms.

Crona didn't have long to think of his comment as Eruka was placing back the 'door' in place. "It's not much, but it beats sleeping outside." She says as she walks pass Crona, grabbing his shoulder and dragging him near the pot. It was there he noticed the small dirty towel on the floor. "Have a seat, I bet Dinner is almost done." She says gesturing to the towel for him to sit...to which Crona complied.

As he sits down, he watches as Eruka moved about the room, or rather hopped around. She seemed to be looking for something as she looked with closed mud-made cabinets and shelves that looked ready to fall apart from off the walls...and given that the walls themselves looked like that, Crona guess that wouldn't be long.

He notices as she was moving around that she was muttering something under her breath. "Damn it, damn it, damn it...where are they, I know they should be here som-HEY, HOW ABOUT A BATH!?" She suddenly shouts, as she twists herself around to face him, nearly giving Crona a heart attack.

"W-what?!" He says slightly panicky as Eruka just hops near him and leans in close. A bit too close, as her nose was nearly pressing against his neck, making Crona lean away as she begins to sniff him. Her face then lilts up, with a large smile as she says. "Come on, l-let me just get you a bath. I mean, come on. You really stink." She says, holding her nose to show her point.

With Crona having to stop himself from giving a...Ragnarok-like reply. " **It ain't like you smell any better, you toad bitch! I don't even have a nose here, and I know everything around here makes shit smell like well cooked bacon in comparison.** " Though not as...colorful word wise, Crona's was in agreement with Ragnarok's words. Everything around them smelled terrible, though not as bad as in the city.

Eruka pushed on though pretty much begging him, and before Crona could tell he was pushed back outside, to what looked to a small hole in the ground that was not at all that deep. Probably the size of a 'kiddie pool' at best, smaller than one at worst.

"Um...is this your bath?" Crona ask, as he turns to Eruka, who was starting to look nervous now as she was holding her arms behind her back. A nervous grin plastered on her face as she just stared back at him. The air of uneasiness had followed them to outside and that was easy to see. "Well...it's the cleanest spot here. It's where I usually wash myself, but you can use it too...I can even get you some new clothes, well not new...but better then what you got. I've visited that airplane for quite some time and found a lot of neat clothing. I'll just get them ready for you right now, just hope in!" She says with a bit of a quick pace, before rushing off back into her hut.

Leaving Crona alone in the cold, as the mist just continued to surround them. Looking back at the hole, Crona becomes nervous at the idea of stripping outdoors. Already starting to quiver a little at the idea as he grabs his right arm. " **Oh, for fuck sakes.** " He could hear Ragnarok groan out, before feeling as if he were shoving his insides. " **Just jump in you moron!** " He shouts, with Crona still not moving. The teen's eyes were still on the watering hole. "Bu-but what if Eruka sees me?!" Crona nearly cries out as he quickly looks back to the hut, noticing that the Frog girl haven't return yet with his 'new' clothing. " **Okay fine, don't clean yourself. God knows what the hell kind of syphilis you're getting from all the plant guts, and god knows what in this swamp. I can sure as hell bet, you're not smelling good either...probably will start attracting flies...oh shit, you think she would try to eat them when they're close to us? I'm actually curious now!** "

A slash sound erupts from there as Crona hops right into the small watering hole at that notion. Though he was still clothed, he didn't care as the thought of having the mutated Eruka using him as a bug lure was a bit too creepy for him to deal with.

" **Now that wasn't so hard, was it?** " Ragnarok said, with Crona feeling a slight pain in the back of his head, as if Ragnarok had slap him upside it. Giving a sigh, Crona gives a shiver as he realizes how cold the water was, giving him goosebumps along his skin and making the tight black 'dress' even tighter along his body. Giving a shaky breath, Crona begins to peel the clothing off him...noticing how slimy and uncolored the waist deep water was as he strips himself. Whatever black substance it was, the water seems to make it loose, having it easily be peeled off Crona's body and seeming to...almost instantly break apart into nothing as soon as he places it on the ground near the watering hole.

"...what is this stuff?" Crona wonders out loud as he held up a piece of it, to look more closely at it. Noticing how it wasn't fabric at all, but instead was something else...much like his blood actually. Crona didn't have long to think of it due, as Ragnarok calls out to him. " **Hey...you don't think something happened while we were on the moon, right?** " He says, with Crona dropping the piece of black substance to the water...watching as it dissolves almost instantly.

"What do you mean?" Crona ask, as he begin to properly rinse himself with the water, giving a small shiver as he begins a handful down on his own head. " **I mean...Crona think for a second. Shit seems pretty fucked. You saw how the city was, and not a single body around. What about that shit with the plant?! Last, I checked weeds don't do that. And fucking look at that frog bitch, she's a literally frog bitch!** "

Crona nodded his head a little bit, as he brings the water up to rinse his arms. Softly gripping both of them...as he begins to notice something...he wasn't cold anymore...like instantly he wasn't. Like his body became already used to it in an instant. "...that's not all...I feel...weird." He says, as he brings some water up in his hands. Cupping it so that the water wouldn't spill out. "...I never really could run that fast when I was chasing Eruka...and when I hit the tree...it fell over like nothing." Crona says...with Ragnarok supporting him with his comment of " **Yeah you also shot fucking laser beam from your eyes when you killed the plant fucker.** "

Crona lets his hands drop back into the water at that, his face growing slightly gray from embarrassment. "Y-Yeah...that too." He mutters as he takes a small breath afterwards. He then raises a hand to his face, holding his index and middle finger under his eyes. Trying to remember what happened exactly to him. The feeling he had as he was put in danger...but Crona still couldn't understand it.

With his mind drifting like that...his thoughts turn to her...the one that saved him. He imagines her voice; how happy would she be in seeing him again. She promised that she would see her again...oh he wanted it so badly.

To hear her voice, to see her smile, to look right into her eyes and feel safe as her souls is near his. To be near his angel, his hope, once more. Crona would give anything.

To see her beautiful form, to smell her amazing scent, to hear her wondrous voice, to feel her touch, to be held by her, to be cared by her...

He would do…anything.

Anything to be with her once more.

And Crona silently vows to himself that he would do it...to see his angel, his savoir, his goddess once more. To hold her and never release her to anything. And if anything were to stand between them again, then they will be moved aside. Wither it be a witch, Kishin, or even Death himself; Crona will move them all aside for her...just for her.

"Well he should be about do-" Eruka voice calls out, snapping Crona from his thoughts. He quickly looks behind himself, while throwing his arms on his chest in a poor attempt to cover himself. She was standing at her door, looking right at him with a look of shock on her face, as if she couldn't believe her eyes at this.

Thinking it was just his unclothed form, Crona moves deeper in the water, till just his head was viewable. Also, he noticed that Eruka wasn't holding any clothing for him. "U-um...w-where the clothes you said you'd get?" He asks, slightly nervous with being seen nearly fully nude, hoping that she wouldn't come closer to him.

Luckily for him, it seems that Eruka was too busy staring to move closer towards him. She does seem to snap herself back into attention as she replied. "Oh right, stupid me, hehehehe." She says nervously as takes her hat off and slaps herself in a playful manner. "I knew I was forgetting something, let me get right back." At that she rushes back inside, leaving Crona alone again for a minute.

" **...am I the only one here that thinks something is wrong with this picture?** " Ragnarok says, with Crona pressing his chest to the edge of the watering hole, growing a bit suspicious at the frog girl and her actions. "No, I think so too." Crona mutters back to Ragnarok as he takes a brief look around again.

He could feel Ragnarok shift within him, as if he were nodding his head. " **Good, so next time she shows her face, laser her!** " He shouts, with Crona crying out at the sudden idea. "Ragnarok, be serious!" The demon sword wasn't gonna take the idea off the table, as he says back to him. " **I am serious! Come on, for all you know she's planning on eating you...or worst!** "

Before Crona to ask what could be worst, Eruka returns with some folded clothing in her arms. "Ribbit, hey Chrona...sorry for the wait, I can be a...bit of a ditz at times, being alone does that to people, hehehe." Crona notes how she speaks, noticing how forced her chuckle was at the end...and seeing as she seems to avoid his eyes. Instead she was looking lower, mainly at either the ground near him or to his chest and arms, but not his eyes.

She didn't even say his name right.

Crona had lived with Medusa of all people, living with something like that for your whole life...gave you a bit of a six sense when it came to people wanting to hurt you. And right now, Eruka was starting to earn some red flags from him. Being wary of her, Crona says. "I-it's okay...can I have the clothes please...I don't know how to deal with being naked." Eruka seem to widen her eyes again at that, this time in realization as she was still holding the clothing she promised him.

"Right, right sorry about that." She says as she walks closer to him. "T-that's enough!" Crona yelps out as quickly as he could. Even if he wasn't suspicion of her, he still wouldn't want anyone too close to him when he is currently without clothing. Thankfully she did stop, and does seem to understand why he asked her to not come closer. "Oh right, hehehe sorry about that. I'll just place them here." She tells him as she gently places the clothing on the ground floor and walks backwards to the hut, pausing at the door to tell him. "Just get dressed, and met me inside. I'll have dinner waiting for you." She says, in a quick pace before rushing inside.

Crona just stays where he is for a bit longer, looking at the door or small window for any sign of her peeking at him. Seeing that they were clear, Crona gets up from the water and quietly walks to the clothing. Leaving him without a towel, Crona didn't really have a choice but to slip the clothing on his wet body. Not wanting to wait out till he dries and have Eruka come looking for him.

The clothing she did give him was...different then his usually dress. For one thing he was wearing pants, something he had only done once when Liz and Patty had help him dress for Kid's party...he had mix feelings on that, as it was a good night...till Medusa showed herself. Quickly ridding himself of the thought, Crona looked himself over. The pair of black skinny pants while being a fit for his legs, seemed too tight around his waist and…private regions. She also gave him a long trench coat that was two sizes too big on him, as well as a completely ruin shirt that had a large hole at its side.

The thing that seem to worry him though wasn't what they were or how it fitted him, it was how the clothing had felt. Running his fingers along the sleeve of his coat, he felt a texture he knew all too well…

Dried blood.

Very old and judging from the small holes and tears in it, whoever bleed was wearing this coat. Crona didn't know how to feel about wearing another person's clothing. As he moves a hand to his shirt and pants, he also notices the same dried blood, with small tears…something had attacked whoever wore this.

Before he can think more on it though, Ragnarok's voice called out. " **So, you gonna keep feeling yourself up, or** **what?** " At his voice, Crona rips his own hands away from himself. "S-sorry." Crona mutters, before he walks back to Eruka's home, hesitantly knocking on the door in fear he might knock it over.

With Eruka opening it, she gives a pleasant…forced smile. "Oh, there you are. Looking really handsome if I don't say so myself." She says, trying to speak in a teasing tone. " **Yeah, anyone standing next to you will suddenly look a LOT more attractive.** " Ragnarok snarls out, with Crona holding back the sudden urge to back away from the frog lady, upon being so close to her.

As he was invited back in, Eruka offers him a seat on the floor…right next to her pot on the dirty towel…where he notices a certain smell coming from it. It was….an old one, one he could almost recognize. As he reaches to touch the pots lid, Eruka suddenly dash to her own seat, opposite to his. "Wait, wait now! It's not ready yet. It's needs to sit and brew for about a few more minutes." She tells him with another forced smile…and though slightly hesitantly…Crona pulled his hand back.

"I need to ask you some questions." Crona began, as he held his hands on his thighs…keeping them closed to fist. " **Okay if she tries anything, deck her in the throat…give her something to crook on.** " Ragnarok says, just as Eruka says back. "Weird, I got my own questions. But you can go first."

Taking a deep breath to try and prepare himself…Crona ask. "What…happened here?" Upon seeing the slightly confuse look on Eruka's face, Crona decided to elaborate. "When I came to…not only was I back…but I saw something that happened to the nearby city, and…seeing something is really weird. Like with the sky and-" Eruka suddenly looked completely taken aback by Crona's words.

"Whoa, hang on." She says as she moves to kneeling position, as if to get ready to stand up. "You're…serious, aren't you? You don't know? Ribbit-ribbit." She asks looking him over again as if she couldn't even fathom what he just said. Even looking to become irritated as she nearly shouts. "What were you living under a rock for the last two thousand years?!"

"T **W** O **T** H **O** U **S** A **N** D **!**! **!** " Crona and Ragnarok screams as he quickly rushes to his feet, looking down at the frog girl. His eyes were fully widened, with his hands opened and fingers twitching. Shock spreading through his veins like a toxin, along with fear.

The image of his hope…of her came to his mind…and then his imagination came to play. He saw her grow old…dying…her beautiful smooth skin turns ragged and disgusting as maggots eat it, how her bright and wonder eyes turn glassy and hollow as they dry into nothing, how her voice began frail and fallen on deaf ears as no one was there to care for her…not like he would.

As this image played in his mind…Crona felt something in his hand…thinking it was finally Ragnarok, as he formed into his weapon form…he tightens his hold. He ignored how wet…and soft it was. He needed something to reveal his stress. He picks it up and held it in the air…as the image within his mind becomes more gruesome.

He sees her, looking up to him…begging to come back...as time rips her from him. It couldn't be true…it was lie. Some foul joke, a pathetic waste of his time. He wanted her, he needed her. She couldn't be gone. He refused it. And he will make such a jester pay for ever to dare think of such a-…Crona stops himself…as he releases his hand…dropping Eruka to the floor as she gasps for breath. She held her hand to her throat, which had a dark mark along it.

" **Crona?** " Ragnarok calls out to him…with Crona just starting at the hand where he nearly chocked the life out of Eruka with. Seeing how it was shaking beyond his control. "I-I'm sorry, p-please forgive me!" Eruka wheezes out as she tries to back away…only to stumble and fall to her back.

No words came from Crona's mouth, his mind was trying to just comprehend what just happened…what he nearly did. Looking to his arm he sees…his left arm sleeve was shattered, most likely from Eruka trying to literally claw her herself away…not even a little scratch was on his arm itself though. "I-I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Eruka pleaded in a begging tone as she looked fearfully at the pink haired boy, holding a hand up in a vain attempt to defend herself.

"I…didn't mean too." Crona mutters as he lets his arm go limp, and fall back to his side. Eruka slowly moves to stand back up, though kept herself hunched over. "Y-you…seriously don't know what happened did you?" She asks while keeping her hand to her throat, shallowing slightly…and cringes in pain.

Crona just…silently nods his head, not able to verbally respond as the shock of what happened…and is still happening begins to set in.

"…you're Medusa's kid alright, hell maybe even scarier." Eruka coughs out under her breath…before she takes a fearful step back as she sees Crona's fingers twitch at the mention of Medusa's name. "Uhh…jeez. I think it be easier to say what DIDN'T happen. Ribbit-ribbit." She then slowly looks back up to his eyes and says. "The world…ended."

Crona's eyes widen, as his teeth pressed against each other. "W-what?" He grunts out. Eruka looked panicked as she takes another step back. "That's what happened I swear. No one knows what exactly caused what, but everything of anything happened to the world. Every single way you could imagine the world ending happened, all expect the planet itself blowing up or being thrown into the sun…or did it, honestly I can't remember half the time…" Eruka mumbles at the end.

Ragnarok voice calls out within Crona's head. " **I fucking called it with saying the planet has became a post-apocalyptic fuckhole.** " Though he his wording wouldn't prove it, Crona knew by his tone…that Ragnarok was worried…Crona needed a seat.

As he sat down on the dirty towel again, Eruka continued to tell him. "I-it just happened one day, n-no one knew what it was, and as far as I know no one ever did find out. It started off small I guess." Eruka said as she sat down, though was still keeping her distance from Crona. "I mean, I was still captured by the DWMA, but…I heard what happened at first. 'sink holes opening up at places', 'people going missing', 'all around weird things just happening'...then one day...the moon explodes."

At the mention of his prison for who knows how long, Crona closes his hands to fist. Easily putting together that must have been the moment where he…'fell down' back home. Eruka continued, picking up speed as she spoke. "From then on, I can't even begin to tell you what happened. Everything just…exploded at once. Massive floods, earthquakes, uh…storms that no one has even seen, another world war, an ice-age, a food shortage…dead people coming back to life and eating the living, plants coming to life, Nuclear fallout, and the mutations that happened from it, l-like me and…more. Hell itself opening up and demons attacking and an invasion of aliens, not to mention sky falling on us all, I am not making this up! I swear!" Eruka tells him as she quickly holds her hands up, as if she was expecting to be struck down.

Crona just sat there though…just trying to process what she just told him. He blinked his eyes and tried to say something, but…was a bit too taken aback from it all. He wanted to just dispose of any thought of actually believing her…but…what she said made some sense. Not all of it, of course, but a bit. With the city in ruins, what was up with the sky, him suddenly being here again, the plant thing he fought, Eruka's appearance, but…He just couldn't.

Just couldn't deal with something…like THIS.

Thankfully he wasn't alone there. " **W-what? Ho-How the…Aliens? Hell? Mutants?! W-what the hell can I fucking say to this shit!? I mean…floods, and stuff like that are one thing but…Oh my god. Oh my gods!** " Ragnarok lets out an exhausted breath, with Crona feeling him shifting within his body as if he was trying to walk in a pace. " **I…I need a minute man. Hold on.** "

After what felt like a whole hour of silence, Crona looks back to Eruka as she stared fearfully at him. Waiting for him to speak.

Crona was still at a lost though. "I…" He quietly began, before he slightly shook his own head. "This all happened, two thousand years ago?" He asks, with Eruka giving back a nod. "Trust me, kid. I would never forget something like that, even if I tried. And…as you can see…it had a big effect on me." Crona's eyes travel downward, trailing along her slim covered body. Thinking of the horrible change it must have been for such a thing to happen to someone. "I wasn't the only one, this is what happened to most witches…and yeah...it hurt like hell, in case you're wondering."

Eruka then looks to the floor, breaking any eye contact she could have as Crona looks back up to her face. "Y-You're the first person that I've seen in a long while, I don't even know how you are still so...normal looking. Ribbit-ribbit." Crona tilted his head a little as he gives out a small 'huh' at the that.

"Right…you don't know…but I thought you would have noticed. This whole city and even the swamp here is filled with radiation. It's kinda what turned me into…" She then quietly gestured to herself. Crona got worried. If being here had done this to her…then why has nothing happened to hi-

…suddenly a thought came…how much he had changed. He remembers the power he got…but now…he seemed different. Not like how he was before. First was with what had happened to his eyes, second would be that…he seemed to just be stronger. He didn't notice it at first…but his thoughts went back to went he chase Eruka. He wasn't never really much of a runner before, but now with the news of this radiation, it made Crona wonder just what was he now?

He was so lost in thought that he hasn't even notice that Eruka was still talking. "-when it all started, Death city was completely fucked. They were apparently taking me somewhere so I could cause less trouble, when everything hit it. I…heard a lot of people died there. And everyone that survive could thank that one girl with the scythe." Crona literally felt his heart skip a beat, all of Eruka's wording becoming nothing but mere noise at that.

Her worry changed to one of his hope. What cruel fate happened to her…if she had drowned, was thrown aside by the wind, frozen to death, starved, eaten alive, the scenarios came one after another. None of them were pleasing for Crona. " **I just can't believe it. I mean…I just literally can't believe that this fucking happened. I mean I fucking knew it actually, what am I talking about. I knew that blue fucker was gonna come and bite us in the ass, I knew it. And yes, I do mean that literally! Aliens, mutants, plants, hell itself opening it up shit, why not. Not the most unbelievably thing I heard today, next thing you know a duck became a world leader. Ugh…** " Ragnarok groans in Crona's head, though the boy just wouldn't listen still. " **You know, she's been talking for about 10 minutes straight, now right?** "

At that Crona snaps himself out of it as he hears Eruka was finishing up. "-I've been here ever since then. Took me about four months now to find my old hat after that plane crash…then again I was…busy with other stuff." She says as he eyes wander to the pot as it continued to brew. Small bits of blue-ish green steam raising from the small openings of the cracked lid. "Oh, it's ready. Ribbit-ribbit." She tells him as she hops away from him…a slight nervous tone in her voice as she goes to cabinets again and grabs two old and cracked cups. Moving to the pot she explains to him. "F-food and stuff have…been getting hard to come across here. Especially with that plant thing that likes to surround the entrance to this place. I can't even get a couple flies around here…well not normal ones, heheheh…ribbit."

As she unveils the lid off the pot, Crona leans his head back due the smell of the whatever it was. It was strong and glowed a bright color mix of both green and blue. It was something infamous with witches, one of their potions.

"See I manage to make this potion with the near-by planet life here. It's not the best thing out there, but...it certainly h-helps me stay alive. Hehehe…" She says with another forced laugh, as she quickly dips both the cups down, and tries to hand him one…'tries' being the keyword as Crona just silently stares at the cup. Watching as the same steam from pot was raising from the cup. The smell now stronger than before, as well as being more…familiar. He knew this smell…he was sure of it. Eruka had walked closer to him, shoving the cup closer to him…very insistent that he take it.

The look she was giving was not helping, as she seemed to force her smile ever harder. "Come on, I'm sure you need something to help your stomach. Last I remember you were never the type to eat much right?" She tells him, as she tapped the drink against his chest, the steam rising up to his face. His hands twitch as he wanted to slap the cup away…but stopped himself as he just takes the cup from Eruka.

" **Crona…it's your commonsense speaking…I know this might seem weird, but…don't be taking weird drinks, from freaking mutant frog witches!** " Ragnarok shouts at Crona, only for the swordsman to ignore him. He was busy trying to think of what exactly the potion was, and how long it has been since he had anything to eat, let alone drink. He notices Eruka was about to take a big sip from her own cup…so without another thought, and a long dramatic " **NOOOOOOO!** " from Ragnarok, Crona takes one large gulp…and just like that…it all came back to Crona as the horrible, gassy empty taste rolls down his throat. It was everything like before, years ago when he was young…same smell, texture, and taste. Silently, he stares at the cup. Holding his head down so Eruka couldn't see his face.

She holds the cup to her lips, not actually have taken sip of her drink…as she slowly pulled it away from her. Something was supposed to happen…usually in seconds the person would be…on the floor. Gasping as steam is pooling from their mouth. They wouldn't be able to hold themselves up as their muscles would become loose and out of their control, and they would become panicked as all they could do is widen their eyes and try to say something…before finally their hearts would just cease to function.

None of that was happening though…as Crona just continued to stare at the cup. Without even turning his head up, he asks. "The classic Witch's Caress? I…remember it now. Medusa would have me drink it several times. It…was awful but, I got used to it. It was meant to build up my immune system, which it had because my blood…is black. It causes victims to hallucinate and speed up their heart rate…while also causing their body to become numb, meaning that they couldn't get help…before their heart would suffer cardiac arrest due to massive amounts of adrenaline." Crona says in a cold harsh tone, making Eruka stumble back, complete dropping her cup to the floor and letting its color-mess splash along the mud-floors of her home.

Crona then slowly looks up her. And Eruka began completely overwhelmed with a very familiar type of fear. The same fear for her life that she felt as when she was forced to work under Medusa. She could almost hear her slithering voice as Crona calming ask. "Eruka...what were you planning to do to me?" The only sound that came next was a horrible terrified scream as Eruka ties to rush out of her home, quickly trying to leap to the door…only instead to feel a hard shove…with enough force behind it to force her right through the wooden panel of a door, and tumble down along the ground…stopping right next to the small 'kiddie pool' of hers, her face just inches away from touching its water.

She tried to quickly get her face away from the water…only for something to step on her back, the sudden stop knocked her hat off her head to the water…where it was quickly beginning to dissolve into nothing. "Ahh…ehh…" Eruka whimpers as the small bit of steam of what was once the hat just raises up…and as she turns to look at what was holding her down…her eyes widen as she sees Crona was holding his foot on her back.

Crona just silent glares at her for a moment. "Was that, what you were expecting when I came in? To dissolve much like that hat of yours?" He spoke, quietly as he leans in at slow pace. "Is this the result of another witch potion perhaps…maybe one to skin the flesh from my muscles or maybe turn me into nothing but bones for you to chew on." Crona then grabs her by the back of her dress and forces her to face him. As he picks her up slightly off the ground, he mutters to her. "I am waiting for an explanation. Proceed to give me one, and you'll live longer."

Eruka begins to whimper as she tells him. "Y-you…w-w-w-" Crona stops her as he leans closer to her face and whispers. "Were supposed to die, correct? Well I apologize for the minor inconvenience; I should have forewarned you…I tend not to die."

"H-how…how?!" She cries out as she tries to pull from his grip…but Crona just kept a tight hold. "Any other thing would have just...just die three times over. How aren't you dead?!" Crona tilts his head a little bit, before he gently closes his eyes…and opens them again…showing his pupils looking lighter in color, to a cold shade of blue.

"I was never like anyone else. I was genetically engineered to have very…different qualities. My blood is black you know. Breed to punish and avenge…and everything I touched…died." Crona tells her… as he grips his hand around her neck again. Eruka trying in vain to escape his grip as she claws on his arm…but not even the slightest cut appeared on his skin.

As Crona slowly forces her head back…closer to touching the acid-like water…he continued to monologue, speaking in a…strangely elegant tone. "I had cease being the child that feared everything. For I knew I had only one fear, of losing my hope. I had butchered the woman who gave me birth, who forced me into this hell called life. Where every single moment of my existence, and every step I take is engrave with the blood of my enemies and allies alike. Death is with me every second of the day…wither I wish it so or not." Eruka whimpering grew louder as she could feel her hair burn away as it is touching the bare surface of the water.

She tries to look right into Crona's eyes. Silently pleading as she could form any words from her mouth. But no emotion was there for her to beg too...just a cold empty look. With his left hand, Crona points to his head. "Up here is…not what you'd expect. My accomplishments, fears, failures, everything that makes me who I am. But no…instead there is emptiness…darkness…a void." His hand then quickly snaps to grab at Eruka's hand as she tries to claw at his eyes. An echo of a loud crack runs across the swamp. Eruka could only wheeze out a moan of pain, as her broken fingers where tightly held by Crona for a moment...till he let go.

He then placed his hand on his chest, right over his heart. "I had place all of those here…so that I would give it to my...hope. My light in the darkest abyss. My _Mind_ was broken, long ago…along with my _Soul_. _Time_ …seem to have rotted away everything that I cared about, leaving nothing but a dark _Space_ that can never be filled again, and all I have to show for it is this… _Power_ that I cannot still comprehend. That is the _Reality_ of my existence."

A weak, wheeze filled scream came…as Eruka was trying to throw her head forehead…as the beak of her head was just barely touching the top of the water. A small bit of steam moves up the air as a red color spread along the water's surface. She was staring straight up to Crona, pleading as best she could as tears began to roll down her pale sickly colored face. What little bit of mercy that was in Crona, was finally reached…as he loosens his hold on her, allowing her to rip her head away from the water and gasp for breath.

"P-please…d-don't kill me!" Eruka gasps or rather croaks out as more tears roll down her face. Crona just hoisters her up, with his right arm as he asks. "Really? Is that all that you can say?" More tears roll down Eruka's face before a moment of realization came. "W-wait…wait…I-I remember now. Y-you can't kill me!" Crona tilts his head slightly…and takes a step forward so that Eruka was daggling right over the acid-water now. "P-P-Please listen, ribbit! B-back ago, t-that scythe girl was the one that saved my life. Y-you were close to her right?! C-come on, you wouldn't want her efforts to be in vain…r-right!?" Eruka pleaded in a pathetic tone as she tries and appeal to Crona's 'better' side in a hope that he wouldn't just decide to let go now.

And for a moment it seems to have worked as Crona seemed taken aback by the news. But just as he was about to take a step back to allow Eruka down on the floor she said. "Y-yeah, that girl…um...uh…M-Mak-" A loud wet sound echoed across all of the swamp…along with the sounds of gasping, as the life faded from Eruka's eyes almost instantly. "I…will not hear her name, from your filthy mouth!" Crona shouts as he continues to hold Eruka up in his right hand…as half of his left arm was currently shoved right through her chest and out her back. Without even another word, Crona pulls his arm back and lets her drop to the water...it began burning her completely so to show all her muscles, then organs…then bones…and then finally nothing…leaving a completely red steaming watering hole as Crona was standing over it silently.

"… **So…pardon my tone but eh, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT SHITBREAK?!** " Ragnarok voice screams, loud enough to startle Crona, and nearly make him fall into the water. "R-Ragnarok?! Oh no…Eh…eh...I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that." He says, suddenly feeling embarrassed at Ragnarok seeing him like that.

He felt as if he was slapped upside the head, as Ragnarok shouts. " **Snap! That's what you call that?!** " Crona sinks his head down his shoulders as he grips his still bloody left hand to his right arm. " **Crona, yelling at some that they are an asshole or something is 'snapping'! THAT! Was some…Shakespearean crap or something I mean…The creepiest part…is that you weren't even like…trying to sound scary. Oh my god.** " He said with a tone of disbelief.

Crona pulls his hand away from his arm and stares at the bloody appendage. He doesn't say any words as he just let Ragnarok continue to talk. " **I mean then there is the whole…stuff you said…w-were you talking about the fat co-…Ma…the very 'nice'…and 'pretty' girl you like. And let's not forget the whole…you shoved your fist through her chest like it was a wall and you were the fucking Kool-Aid man.** " Crona decided it was time to leave. Taking a deep breath, he starts to walk…leaving the mud-home and what was life of Eruka behind him. " **What happened to being a nervous wreck I used to beat on? And while I'm asking, where are you going?!** "

Running his hand down along the mucky water to get rid of the blood, Crona answers him. "I have my mind…working on other things, too much to be scared now. As for where we are heading…" He then looks up, seeing the trees that seemed to cover most of the sky…though through little openings…he could see the blue-ish strange lights. "We're going to Death City…we need to talk to the reaper. He…might be the one we need to talk to for this."

Ragnarok gives a low groan, with Crona feeling as if he was shaking his head. " **Jeez…and that's if we get lucky. Do you even know where we are going or even are?** " He asks as Crona is walking through the waters of the swamp, his eyes scanning around for anything that might attack them just to be safe.

"We'll get there eventually." Crona tells him as he climbs back up to land and continues to walk forward. With Ragnarok's last comment being. " **I fucking hope so, after all this shit I could really go for something going right for us right now. Just try not to rip his chest open or anything if he mentions something you don't like.** " Before the two became silent…as they had a long journey ahead of them.

Unknown to either of them…they were being watched, by a single person as he was standing in front of an old and dirty well that seemed to glow an unnatural light from within. He wore the tattered remains of what was once a unique cloak for his family…and in one hand, held the signature mask of a reaper…in the other…a bright green gem, that seemed to just be…everlasting.

The person watching held the gem tightly in his hand for a moment, seeming to be try and stop it from shining, before he steps away from the well, walking through the broken and yet…symmetrical halls of what seemed to be a destroyed tunnel.

* * *

 _Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into the six concepts of life._

 _Reality…Mind…Time…Space…Power…Soul._

 _These aspects that are the foundation of all life in all of existence. Each crafted to hold the power of infinity itself. Upon the gathering of these six of these gems, will grant the user…all the power of infinity. With that…a single being could overpower even Eternity itself. The wielder would become something else._

 _There would be no denying it: They would become supreme._

 _Anything they wish to be, they are._

 _Anything they wish, is._

 _Nothing in the universe would dare challenge that claim._

 _There can only be one word that would describe them…_

 _GOD._


	2. SOUL (p1)

A beach.

A strange and dark beach that was unlike any in the world.

With gray sands, and water as black as his blood that splash against the shores.

Above were skies just as dark. With no light in sight, no stars to twinkle and no moon to grin down at them. Only emptiness…a void.

Dark, darker, and just darker. An abyss that seems more than ready to shallow whole, all that exist. It's the kind of thing that people would call an actual 'hell'.

And yet, while in this dark place…stood a single spot of light. Not that wide, or even big at all.

But it was enough.

Enough for a small frail boy, wearing a black robe with white cuffs and a white collar. The Demon swordsman stood in this light…and he was not alone.

A beautiful girl was holding him close. The light seeming to just come straight from her. She wore an almost golden like dress that showed off her smooth skin arms, and flawless legs…but what was the most captivating thing of her…were her amazing eyes. That just seem to shine like they were emeralds.

Her name was Maka Albarn…and she was the definition of purity, modesty, and just…being all around too good for him. He wasn't worth her time, or patience. She was…too much for him. Too smart. Too Beautiful. Too…nice. She was just everything.

She is his everything.

And he is not even worth being a little smudge on heel of her sho-…a small gentle touch on his head snaps himself from his own delusions. Making him open his eyes…and look to his hope. She stood right in front of him, with a mere simple text book in her hand. Without a word, she places her book down on the sand, and looks back up to him with a smile…a simple small smile that sends quivers of through his entire spine.

Crona tries to stop himself from shaking…or just falling into a crying wreck on the sand. He sucks in a trembling breath. With a small shake of his head, he tries to say something. What it was he didn't know…either it be begging for forgiveness or just that she stop wasting her time on him. But Maka stops him before he could even let out a sound…by gently placing a hand on his cheek.

She gave him a knowing look.

Just like always…she can read him like any of her books, she was good at that.

Crona gives a sigh as he closes his eyes again, leaning to Maka's hand as he lays his own hand over it. Enjoying her warm touch on his cold skin. "Sometimes I just…think you are just dream. Like as if you've never existed at all and…I…I just made you up." Crona mutters out, barely recognizing his own voice. It sounded…older, deeper even…completely gruff…

Yet though with a voice like that…he still spoke as softly as he could. "And…like any dream, I am now in a living nightmare without you. Every breath I take, is of a world without…hope. Every step I walk in these perverted and broken roads only leads me to more terrors that I can barely stand…I don't have the strength to bare it all. You were…everything. My reason for living, my hope, my light, my…everything." His voice creaks slightly under its own weight, as he tries to fight back tears.

He shuts his eyes as tight as he could…only to open them in shock…as Maka pulls her hand away, and grips both of his in her own. She lightly shakes her head at him, before she moves close…leaning her head to his chest.

Crona feels a tear trail down his face at this. He knew she was worried for him. He could feel it…her compassion, her warmth, her…dare he even use such a word….one he still doesn't understand but…it felt like…

Love.

Watching as she was holding herself close to his chest, he sees as she moves his hand to her side…having him place and hold it there. She then places her own hand on his side. With her other hand, she holds up Crona's. Gently caressing it with her thumb as if to tell him….it was fine.

No words are given as Crona slowly shifted his hand to a more comfortable position for her to hold…before they both began to lightly sway in place.

A…slow dance. Just something meant for them to relax as they listen to the music around them. The music being, the sounds of the black ocean hitting the gray shores.

If this feeling wasn't love. The feeling of her…being his only light in the darkness of his soul, where even though he was a monster…she could care for him…and dance with him still.

This…all of this was love. Something that he'd always wanted….so of course it is ripped away from him, as he opens his eyes…and awakes from his dream.

Finding himself in a setting much like within the dream. A desert with little to nothing in sight, other than the large rock-formation that he was using as shade to cover from the bright clouds that still hung over his head.

He doesn't say any words as he pushes himself off the ground and dust off as much sand as he could from himself. He then turns around to survey the area and with nothing to go on as any kind of direction…He decides to head forward, continuing his journey to find Death City and the Reaper to ask him…just what happened to his hope.

* * *

Crona's quest

 _SOUL_

* * *

Walking through the endless amount of sand in complete silence gave Crona almost too much time to think. Mainly on that of his journey and the world.

It had felt like days, maybe even months had passed already. Time just seemed to be one of the many things that have been ruined. The clouds above barely moved at all, and the light from above didn't even seem to change at all, no matter how long it seemed or where he went.

It was as if the whole planet was in an immortal twilight.

Just as he begins to walk up another incline of sand, he notices something in the ground by his feet. Crouching down to get a better look at it, he sees that it looked to be made of either metal or at least some kind of metal like substance. Small and slightly a sickly green in color, with rusted mostly covering it.

Crona takes hold of the object and begins to pull…his curiosity getting the better of him.

It was a mistake as suddenly the sand beneath his feet burst apart, causing him to topple on his back before he is quickly forced to hold back the jaws of a…'creature'. "Ah, get off!" Crona shouts as he shoves the creature off him and quickly rolls to his side to push himself back up to his feet.

The creature snarls at Crona with green slide dripping down its fangs, its many talons digging into the sand. Crona holds his hand up to try to ease it. "Wait, please don't-"Crona tries to warn it…it leaped toward him, trying to sink its fangs into his flesh.

He didn't even know why he tried anymore to communicate with these things.

…in a few seconds, he found himself inspecting its corpse. It's metal-like body was contorted into a shape like that of an insect. Simply just one of the many kinds of creatures that now inhabited the world. With all the time that Crona had spent walking through this ruined world, he had come across many of them…and so far, only one thing seems to be consistent with these creatures…

They all seem to at least be easy to kill.

A groan is heard within Crona's mind, a tired and annoyed one at that. " **Uhh…** " At his tone Crona inwardly prepares himself as he knew how Ragnarok gets after waking up. Even before the ruined world he was never a…'morning person'.

" **Alright…fuck did you do this time?** " Ragnarok mutters out, as Crona feels him trying to burst from his skin. His new morning ritual, that he tries every time he wakes up from another one of his naps. "I…I didn't do anything." Crona tells him as he continues to walk forward, heading down the other side of the incline.

Making sure to glance at around him, ever couple of seconds to be sure. Either in case of another creature trying to attack him, or maybe a clue in where he currently was. " **Yeah…at least not yet.** " Ragnarok tells him, making Crona let out a tired sigh.

"Can you please stop asking me stuff like this after you take a nap?" Crona whines, getting really annoyed with the accusation Ragnarok kept throwing at him. " **Oh, I'm sorry. But in my defense, I think you can excuse me on the bit of fear I have that I'm just gonna wake up one day, and find out that your dumb ass somehow got us stuck on Pluto!** " Crona holds his hand to his face and lets out a groan.

Even with all the land that they travel, and monsters that they've seen that always seemed to be the first of many conversations that they would have. With the unchanging clouds hanged over their head, the only thing they had to tell time, would be the times they had decided to take naps.

Small reliefs to help get their mind off all that is happening…and of course Ragnarok would disrupt what little peace he had with either waking him up, or digging at that old wound of Crona's.

"…when are you not gonna hold that over me?" He asks, pausing to look around in case of another himself before continuing to walk forward. And just like it had been the last many times he looked around for anything…all he saw was sand.

He could hear Ragnarok scoff at him, as the demon sword ask. " **Come on man, when have I ever been the kind of person to let something go?** " Crona was about to try and say something to that…but then he quickly realizes that Ragnarok had a very good point.

From then on, the small talk just kept going, with Crona continuously walking onward through the many…many miles of sand that just seemed to infinity stretch before him. It was the only thing that could do to kill the time the massive amount of free time they had.

" **Are we there yet?** " Crona had to hold back a loud disgruntle moan, as he tightly closes his eyes. It's one of the 'games' that Ragnarok thought of to pass the time. The 'patience' game. Where the object was to annoy the other player as long as possible till they creak…Ragnarok being the self-proclaim champion of it, but only because he would never let Crona play. His excuse being 'you push what little patience I have, every day of my life as it is' or something like that.

"No." Crona answers the obvious question, as he feels a bit of pressure along the back of his ribs and head, like if Ragnarok was leaning on him.

" **Are we there yet?** " Ragnarok asks again, gaining the same answer as before from Crona. "No." But Ragnarok seemed persistent. " **Are we there yet?** "

Crona had shaken his head a little, while letting out an annoyed breath. "No…" He groans out. As Ragnarok continues to pester him. " **Are we there yet?** " He asks, with Crona almost feeling the grin he had on his currently non-existent face. "…no…" Crona says a bit more difficulty as he tries to keep his voice down.

A small chuckle is heard from Ragnarok as he hears Crona's tone. " **Are we there yet?** " He asks again, gaining silence. Crona just ignoring him at this point as he just angrily stomps forward. " **…are we there yet**?" Trying his patience, Crona stops for a moment to look to the sand, seeing the clouds above them still barely moving at all.

" **Hey Crona, can I ask you something?** " Ragnarok ask, making Crona feel much more relax now. "Can it please not be the phrase 'are we there yet'?" He replies back, hearing Ragnarok give another chuckle. " **Hehehehe…Sure man.** " He says casually as his chuckling turn to snickering. " **Have we reached out destination finally?** "

Crona holds his face in both his hands and lets out a loud muffled groan. Ragnarok's loud laughter echoing throughout his skull. It was at a moment like this were Crona was really considering craving in his own skull…just because at least like that he could finally silence his partner.

After many more of these 'games', most of which seem to test more and more of Crona patience. After what had felt like a non-stop brutal assault, Ragnarok finally stopped as Crona found another landmark. An entire small area of trees. Though they were without leaves, and had no bark on them.

Crona was about to say something on the idea of having trees like this here, but stops himself. Remember that he needs to learn to stop question this world and how it works.

" **Well this seems like a good spot for a nap. Better than freaking rocks or the sand.** " Ragnarok said as Crona presses his back up against one of the trees, before sliding down to a sitting position with his knees up to his chest.

It was part of the agreement that they had made upon coming to this desert. That every landmark that they would find would become a place for them to rest, usually in the form of taking naps. They had no deadline or really any idea on where their destination was, so really all they could do was kill time. It also proved them a bit of relaxing from one another. As due to Ragnarok's condition, with him not being able to eat or even hit Crona like he used too…all he could do was either sleep or talk.

And there was only so much Crona could take all at once without a break.

Crona stayed in the sitting position for a while, as Ragnarok drifted off to his nap. His eyes looking around to the trees around him. They were very old, and skinny…looking to just placed here with no real purpose. He could almost relate to them.

He closes his eyes as he tries to calm his mind. The dream he had still fresh in his mind. A painful reminder of what he didn't have and will never have again.

The loss of his hope.

He tried to avoiding sleeping as much as he can for that reason, ever since he had gotten the news of what had happened. He tried lying to himself about it. Trying to convince himself that maybe she was still out there, and maybe was waiting for him. It was a fool idea that he quickly rid of.

She has long since died, his only hope being that it was a quick and painless one. He had seen…very awful ways for people to die. Many of them slow, and just unbearable to even think about. And that was before coming here to this ruined world. Since leaving that destroyed city he had ventured to many other places.

There he found bodies of...things.

He didn't know their stories, or why they died in such ways…but they had died. And with each body, somehow it seemed to have gotten worst.

Medusa taught him many things about killing. How much pain something can experience. How fair you can push a living thing into sheer agony, before you decided to end it. All could range for a few extra seconds…to literally days. And if one is creative enough, they could make a death last years.

He had found bodies in different places, each with different ways of death. Be it from the frozen wastelands, where they died of the cold. The other wrecked cities where he found old blood spatters underneath small mountains of rubbles. Those being the least…messing that he could think of now. As something much worst could have happened.

Like she could have encountered the many different creatures and groups he had fought.

Shuddering at the memory, Crona moves to stand up to his feet. Thinking that he had enough of resting and thought it be best to just continue walking. He pats himself down, to rid of the sand while also checking his outfit.

It wasn't that different from what he Eruka gave him.

Aside from the many new cuts and holes it had, the only differences with his outfit were that he was missing the shirt, having gotten rid of it after it had become a tattered into small pieces of cloth, and that he had on several belts on his coat. His reason being that it was still too big on him, and had gotten a bit in the way of running and fighting several times. Though he…wasn't quite brave enough to walk around topless.

His solution was to use several, very old belts that he had found in his travels. It wasn't perfect, as it took about four to get it right. One tied to each arm, and two around his torso. And not to mention the whole uncomfortably feel of it.

Though he didn't seem in any position to complain about outfits. At least he had something…he wonders for a moment what she wore when she died, before smacking himself. "Stop thinking about her for just five seconds…you can do it, Crona." He mutters as he takes a sharp breath. He had a lot to walk…and just standing here think wasn't gonna do him any favors.

An idea comes to him for a moment, as he looks to the trees. Seeing that some of them had grown to be at least be several feet taller than him. A vantage point will be very useful to him about now, better than trusting his own eyesight, with all this sand things tend to just blend together.

Learned that the hard way after what felt like a thousand too many surprise attacks.

Seeing no comfortable way to climb the tree, Crona places a hand on his chin as he begins to form an idea.

Since awakening in this world…he's felt different. Not by much, but with enough to at least noticed it. Though that was how he 'felt'. He has become much different than he used to be. He was stronger, faster, and extremely durable. Even with everything that was thrown at him, from this ruined world…not a single scratch was on his body…not a single scratch could even be left on him.

He's fallen down mountains, taken hits from large animal-like mutants with sharp claws…even being eaten whole in some occasions, burned alive, had' taken more bullets than all the rappers known' as Ragnarok commented, and had fallen into so many death traps that Ragnarok convinced he's gonna get a free Sundae if he gets in one more.

And yet even being forced through all of that, he's never gotten more than a paper cut…not even. It very much worried him. Before he relied on his black blood to harden and protect him, someone could try to harm him and while it would break skin, that would be as far as it got...allowing for Ragnarok to retaliate. Now, that wasn't possible…leaving him alon-

" **Can you stop whining for five fucking minutes, I'm trying to sleep.** " Ragnarok groaning voice echo's in Crona's head, sounding like he was rudely awakened and was still tired. "B-but I haven't said anything." Crona tries to defend himself as he feels Ragnarok shifting along from his back to his chest. Like he was turning in his sleep. " **You're always fucking whining about something…stupid wussy…can't see what he's got…nah…nah…nah…you bitch…** " Ragnarok mutters to him, as his voice begins to sound more tired...before falling into a light snore and then becoming quietly.

Though it was in his…very mean sounding way…Crona thinks that it was Ragnarok being nice to him. He wasn't alone, that much was for sure. And he needed to focus.

Looking back up to the trees, Crona takes a deep breath as he mentally prepares himself. He had gotten into a lot of fights here, each proving how much strength he had. So…it was time to test just how much he could use it.

Crouching down slightly, Crona breaths in slowly…and then leaps as hard as he could.

Like a rocket that has taken off, the ground under him explodes as the black blood boy sore through the air…passed the trees, and further up then he would ever think possible with just a mere leap…he was reacting as one would expect. "AHHHHHH!" He screamed as he tried in vain to try and gain control of himself as he was being still being propelled forward, nearing to touch the very clouds that hanged above them…before he began to fall.

"AHHHH!" He continued to scream, the noise being more than enough to wake up Ragnarok as he shouted out. " **What is with the screa-OH MY GOD!** "

It was not a soft ending. Crona crashes through a large rock formation that were sticking out the top of one of the many hills of sand. His body skip down the slope like the rick along a body of water…before stopping as he hits face first into something metal.

A low moan escapes Crona's throat as he flops on his back. "Ow." He mumbles out as he tries to make sense of what had just happened. Ragnarok's voice was not helping him. " **Ugh, that stung a bit. What the hell happened?** " He spoke, sounding very annoyed and not happy at being woken up hundreds of feet in the air.

"I tried to jump up the trees…I missed the trees." Crona mutters before he begins to push himself up, spitting out a bit of sand that was near his mouth. As he moves up to his feet Ragnarok groans at him. " **Ohhh, you missed a tree that was right in front of you…could have just climb it but you thought to jump. Man…you know usually I would have thought of a joke or snarty thing to say at this…but I got nothing…that was fucking dumb. You're fucking dumb.** " Crona ignores him as brushes off the sand from his body, before he presses a hand on his back to help straighten himself to standing up right.

As he looks up the nearby hill that he rolled down, seeing the rock formation that he crashed through. The entire top part of it being completely gone…with small rocks of it still crumbling off. " **Oh look, time for nap time again…try not to kill us this time.** " Crona nods at that as he places a hand over his face. Feeling slightly sore, but mostly okay…before turning to look at what he had hit when he landed…and his eyes widening as he saw…a sign.

A wrecked, completely rusted and dented to hell old road sign that was buried slightly in the sand, which said 'Welcome to Nevada'.

Though it was barely readable, Crona became ecstatic upon seeing the name. "Ragnarok…w-we are close! W-we're in Nevada, we can probably see Death City if we keep going!" Crona nearly shouts as he tries to run…only for Ragnarok to shout back to him. " **Hold on there, Mr. Hopeful!** "

Crona's attention was grabbed as he reels his head back, placing his hands on his nose. Like he was punched in the face. " **Think for a second. It would be hundreds of things. Like the sign being thrown around in a tornado, or someone stole it and lost it, or the sand itself moving it around, shit like that. For all we know, we're actually in Egypt and this just happens to be here.** " Ragnarok told him, as Crona slowly places his hands back down. He continues to stare at the sign for a bit longer.

He knew Ragnarok was right, as much as he hates to admit it. He couldn't let himself get too hopeful…it would only set him up to fail.

With a shake of his head he takes his eyes away from the and begins to walk up to the rock formation that he hit. Resting against the shade it provided, Crona began to check himself over. Happy to see no new tears in his clothing…and that his 'weapon' was okay.

Though it was a sad excuse of one, that he had gotten from a group of…as Ragnarok had called them, 'clowns'. They attacked Crona riding on the same kind of creatures with metal bodies as the one he killed earlier…only those were bigger. They welded weird weapons that were held together with straps, and prayers.

After taking care of them, Crona had taken one of the weapons as Ragnarok had suggested to him…that it might come in handy…though looking at it, one could tell it was a piece of junk.

It seemed like it was supposed to be like that of a firearm, a saw-off shotgun to be exact. But whatever that was just to make it was of poorly aged material. The metal being nearly all rust, the trigger being too loose, the straps looking close to ripping, even the bullets weren't normal…looking to be made of bone and other stuff Crona couldn't tell.

It was more likely to blowup in his hand then to actually be used to kill something. But, given the option…Crona rather have trash than nothing. Plus, Ragnarok really wanted to him to shoot it and scream that this was his 'boom-stick'. Not a day goes by where Crona wonders where Ragnarok pull out these references.

After another nap, and a…wondrous dream...Crona woke up and began to walk again, not even giving a second glance to the sign that still was buried in the sands. As he had walked for what had felt like a few miles, Ragnarok had awoken and it was time to play another game.

" **I spy…something…sandy.** " Ragnarok said, with Crona uttering back to him. "Is it sand?" He could feel the demon sword within him shift in annoyance. " **Shit, again. How do you keep knowing? Are you cheating somehow?** " Ragnarok shouts at him, but there was a bit of a joking tone to it.

Crona couldn't resist the small smile it gave him. "Okay my turn, I spy…something bright, but not too much." He said, as he shifts his eyes to look above to the sky. " **Oh man Crona, not sure if that is fair…that is nothing like sand.** " Ragnarok replies in a mocking fearful tone.

As Crona begins to walk up a tall incline, he stops walking for a moment to look around for any landmarks. " **Hmm…I would have to be a daring man and say…the sky.** " Ragnarok says, with Crona giving a small nod. Tilting his head back down to look around him. " **Yeah, alright my turn! I spy with my nonexistent eyes…something that looks like a tower…wait…WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY?!** "

Not even caring for the screaming in his head, Crona looks to the thing that he caught at the corner of his eye…and he sees what may be…a tower. It was so far away though, that only the barest of the tips of kind of structure could be seen. And the style that it had…looked…familiar.

Similar like it was of…

Crona's eyes widen in full. " **…run. Now!** " Ragnarok says in a very serious tone, causing Crona to jump a bit in shock at its suddenness. "B-but what about what you said about being hopeful? It could be a-a trick or-" Crona was stopped as he feels pain surge at the back of his head. " **Fuck what I said, just run!** "

And with that simple command…Crona ran. The closer he got, the more of the tower he could see. Moving as quickly as he could, as if scared that if he was too slow then it would disappear right before his eyes.

Rushing up and down the inclines of sand as they came, Crona could make out…a city. A familiar looking one at that.

" **Fucking A! Finally, something goes right for us!** " Ragnarok excitedly shouts, as makes his way there. "Yes…I can't believe it." Crona says with him as he couldn't hold his own excited tone. His smile growing the closer he got to the city…answers could finally be found. He could see why this had all happened and if there is any-way that maybe…just maybe they could fix it al-

Crona digs his feet into the sand to stop himself…as he gets close enough to see…what's left of Death city. What small spark of hope of anything that he and Ragnarok could find was crushed in almost an instant.

Like most other cities that he saw, the buildings were wrecked…broken…worn down to the point that they look as if they could collapse at any moment, some have already had. But the worst thing…was how the city seemed to be buried halfway into the sand itself. As if the weight of the entire city was too much for the desert to bare. Crona began to slowly walk to it. "…how?" He quietly asks as he steps down the incline, and walk toward the city.

" **I think that's obvious. The same way this happened to the rest of the world. The world ended…** " Ragnarok said, his voice sounding to be unease as Crona begins to step into what might have been the city limits. Walking passed buildings that were just barely peeking out of the sand. "…I thought…Death would be like…the last place that would ever fall…you know….it just seems…" Crona pauses mid-sentence as he begins to walk upward…onto a road. The entire place seeming to be tilted at an old angle.

Like as if something tried to pull the entire city down.

A chill goes up Crona's spine at that thought. Thinking that with all that he and Ragnarok both seen, something like that wouldn't be too farfetched. " **What…special? Yeah right. Last, I checked bad things happen, no matter where you are. Damn it…** " The demon sword said in a tone that was a mix of disappointment and anger.

The two became quiet as they began to look through what was left. Walking through the many broken and empty streets, much like they had when they had first woken up. After finding nothing aside from broken bits of buildings, and a few destroyed vehicles…Crona then heard a noise.

A loud boom from above him.

Before he could look up to see where it was from…a large piece of ice falls right in front of him. Leading for Crona to mutter. "Nah…nuts." Before he quickly throws his hands above his head and began to run into the nearest place of shelter, as it began to rain large chucks of ice all around him. " **Shit-shit-shit-shit!** " Ragnarok shouts in his head as Crona rushes right into a nearby building, through what may have been a door at one point.

Crona gives a sigh of relief as he sees the hail really began to rain down, happy to not be caught in weather like this without shelter…again. " **Oh, thank god.** " Ragnarok mutters, before he gives his own sigh. This was a normal thing for them, it seemed that whatever had happened to make the sky like it was, it had also seemed effect the weather around them. Not making any sense at all at times, like it is snowing in the hottest of areas, or like now…hail coming down in the desert. It would even change mid-way…Crona did not like when he was caught in the acid rain once.

Thinking that it would take time for the weather to return to normal, Crona decided that he might as well look through his shelter…though he was quick to regret the decision in picking this building to go through, the moment he looked behind.

He was in a store…a clothing one by the looks of the old, and very dirty rags that were either hanged up or left on the floor…but that wasn't what caught Crona's attention. It was something else.

Blood.

There was blood along the walls, and floor around him.

Crona was struck into complete silence as his eyes trace around the room. With no words spoke, he began to step forward, quietly and slowly moving as the only sound that could be heard was of the hail hitting the ground outside.

He makes sure to step his bare feet around the pools of blood, watching for any movement to come from it, and looking for any trail that it had...there was several of the latter. Either from the victims trying to escape danger…or of their bodies being dragged away.

The old question of...'how this could have happened' rang in his mind…but he had learned that there was little to no answer for that question…or rather too many possible answers from what Eruka had told him.

Walking up to one of the blood painted walls, Crona slowly brings a hand up and begins to trace the edge of where the blood spattered. He does this for a moment, before moving his hand over the dried blood itself…and that's where he noticed something.

The texture of the blood was…different. There was a small tringle within it. One he was familiar with, long ago. Another one of Medusa's many listens in his young age. "…this is witch blood." He says in a low disbelief tone. "It could be they did finally had gotten peace…only for all this to happen." He mutters, as he drops his arm, and begins to walk through the rest of the store. Having time to kill before the rain would stop, and allow him to continue exploring.

He stops for a moment to stare into…a mirror. A dirty, and creaked mirror, with a few pieces on the floor…but mostly intact.

It was…the first time he had seen himself in a while. Though he hadn't seemed to change at all since the last time he seen his own reflection…there was changes. One being that his eyes were bright blue, almost as if they could glow. Another would be while he was still very skinny, he could see that he had gain…weight.

Looking a bit bigger, muscle wise all along his body. He even looked a bit taller.

Though it was a small change…it was enough for Crona to feel…that he wasn't looking at himself. It was as if there was someone else in the mirror pretending to be him. With his changes, the strength he now had, how he reacted toward Eruka…upon saying the name of who he cared for most. Crona would believe that he really wasn't himself.

But before he could think further on that, Ragnarok's voice calls out to him. " **Hey…you think that this is the same place where those blonde bimbos took you?** " It was enough to snap Crona out of his thoughts, as he had to blink his confusion. " **Yeah remember? You were invited to that party thing…and you needed something else to where…hehehe…I remember when they first got you to wear pants. OH GOD, remember when they started to argue wither you should wear boxers or panties, HAHAHAHA!** "

As Ragnarok begins to laugh like a fool, Crona's face turns gray with embarrassment. The events of the day all coming to him, as Liz and Patty were both determine to set down the argument of Crona's gender as they back him into a dressing room to find out the answer themselves. " **Ah…the look on their faces…priceless!** " Ragnarok chuckles out, as he begins to shift within Crona…making the pink hair teen give a groan as he holds his hands in front of his face in a poor attempt to hide himself.

"Ragnarok please…" He whispers as he tries not to remember what happened when the two girls had…stripped him. It took all day for his 'hope' to convince him to leave his room after that…took even longer for Ragnarok to stop laughing about it. " **Oh, shut up Sadako.** " Ragnarok said as he begins to calm down.

Crona feels his face calm down, and slowly pulls away his hands…pausing for a moment as tries to think of what Ragnarok just said. "Wait…who? Is that another reference?" It was Ragnarok's turn to give a groan as he Crona could feel another surge of pain in the back of his head. " **Forget it…fucking swear…** "

Though he didn't like the pain…it did bring a small smile to Crona.

Suddenly the sound of hail hitting the road had stopped, letting Crona know that the weather had return to normal for now. He walks back to the entrance of the store, and look to the sky for a moment. It looked just as it always had so there was no way of telling if it would rain again. Giving a sigh, Crona thought it worth the risk as he began to step outside and head down the street, toward what might be what remains of the academy.

They were silent for a moment as they looked around them. They saw collapse shops, homes, and even complete parts where it looked like places themselves were missing. Crona held a stern look as his eyes scan around him.

It was awful.

Seeing someplace…where he felt at home. Where he had walked these same streets with 'her'. Now it was nothing more than waste…all of it.

" **Hey…Crona?** " Ragnarok asks as he sees Crona walk alongside the wall of a building, sliding his hand on it as he continued to walk forward. " **Aside from the obvious answer, being you know who, what do you miss most about the world pre…shit getting fucked?** "

Crona shifts his shoulder a bit at that. Thinking back to all the memories that he had from his life before waking up here. There was one moment that made Crona very happy…though it was rather foolish in retrospect. "...you remember when we were really young…and we went into that Ice cream shop?"

Ragnarok gives small confused grunt, before suddenly perking up with a sound of realization. " **Ohhh, I think I know. It was when Medusa left us alone the first time.** " He said in a pleased tone, Crona was giving his own as he says. "Yeah…sitting down, and just watching the firework show the town was having…no killing, no darkness…that is what I miss most. That feeling." Crona finished as he looks up to the clouds above them with a sober look.

"...So much has changed…almost makes me think if there is a way to change it back anymore." Crona says as he began to walk away from the building and down through the street, taking careful steps to avoid the bits of ice on the ground. He hears Ragnarok give a low hum at that. " **Hey, remember that one time when you and I went to that Zoo, and I got curious to see what would happen if I punch a bear?** "

The two continued to reminisce for a time. Crona's voice echoing across the empty town, unknowing be heard…by something around them.

As Crona arrive at the old stairway, he silently walks up. Looking up to the academy where he was given his second chance, now old…broken…and forgotten. The cartoonish skull castle design of it had lost all color, became faded and not but crumbled rock. " **Man…and I thought this place looked like shit before.** " Ragnarok mutters as Crona looks around him, seeing that the usual front entrance had collapsed in on itself.

He begins to think, or at least to try and remember if there was another way into the building, one that didn't include climbing on it and risking it falling apart even more. Taking a few steps back he could see just barely see the old balcony. The same one where he and his 'hope' had sat and talked to one another. "The balcony might still be there…maybe I could jump it, it seems to be in somewhat of a good condition. I can possibly jump at such an angle so that I am able to land and not cause too mu -" Crona muttered to himself, while holding a hand to his chin and also tapping his finger slightly in thought.

That thought was stopped though…as a sound echoed across the area around him…and it wasn't from himself. Slowly he turns to look around. There was an. alert look in his eyes, as his muscle tense…ready to move in case of an attack.

But nothing was there. He still stood alone still, with no other living thing around him.

It provided no comfort at all for him.

"We need to move." Crona whispers as his eyes continue to wander around him, as he starts to bend his knees. " **Well where exactly are we gonna move to-OH SHIT, NOT AGAIN!** " Ragnarok voice screams in a…rather un-Ragnarok way…as Crona uses all his strength to his legs and launches himself upward. Crona fiercely throwing his arms around as he attempted to grabbed the edge of the balcony. "I got it, I got it!" He shouts as he nears his target…unfortunately realizing too late that he was coming in too fast…as his body slammed right into it. "Ugh…told you I got it." He groans as the old concrete had slammed against his chest and stomach, making him give a few coughs. His arms were tightly around the stone to hold himself.

He could hear Ragnarok angrily growl at him. " **You're a stupid fuck, you know that?** " He tells Crona as the boy tries to pull himself upward, his grip being hard to keep as the stone was wet. The hail from earlier. As he tries to pull himself further up, a crack is heard…before Crona found himself falling…from the balcony…holding the wet and old stone bit of what used to be part of the railing. "Oh poop-" Crona manages to make out, before he his body bounces off the front skull of the Academy and lands on the ground, head first.

"…ugh...should have seen that coming." He moans as he pushes the large piece of granite off him. " **Asshole, do me a favor…stop fucking pretending to be a Mexican jumping bean.** " Ragnarok groans as Crona holds a hand to the back of his head. Feeling his skull throb in pain from the landing.

"I was only trying too-" Crona tries to defend his action but stops…as he looks up from his position…and saw something raising from the many creaks on the floor. His eyes widening in panic, Crona pushes himself back to his feet as fast as he could.

His eyes quickly looked around him as he could see that it wasn't just behind him…it was surrounding him. Not just near the Academy…but as far as he could see. They were leaving the ground, old buildings, and even from the school itself.

A howling echo whispers in the air, sounding to be right behind his ear. Crona had to fight the urge to wildly swing behind him. It was moments like this where he needed to be calm. If he acted out rashly...then that might cause them all to attack him…and he really…really didn't want to deal with that.

Though that didn't mean he wouldn't prepare himself. He closed one of his hands into a fist, another he held close to hip…where his sad excuse of a weapon was hanging from, under his coat. His eyes scanned around him, and he bended his knees again. If they had decided to attack then he needed to be on the move.

Though…they weren't moving themselves. Whatever they were…they just stared at him. They were semi-transparent in a way, constantly shifting in and out of his sight. Their shape wasn't like anything normal. Just long shapes of greenish gas color. The only real feature that they had on their 'body'…were the two blank see-through dots…it was their eyes.

The only sound being made were the howls, at least that was till Ragnarok spoke. " **Please tell me that we** **are suffering from a concussion, and are now seeing shit.** " Crona shrugs his shoulders silently as a response, slightly hoping that was the case…but he knew his own luck enough to know that it wasn't.

He stood for what felt like minutes staring at the things around him, but they didn't even move after coming out of the ground. They just…continued to look at him. Keeping his wits about him, Crona decided to move…slowly sliding his foot forward toward the nearest of the things.

There was nothing. No movement, or addition sound to the howling. Just stare.

Crona moved himself again…still nothing.

After several more slow and tedious little bits of movement, Crona stood right in front of one of the…things. And upon closer inception…is where he found the truth of them.

It was a Soul…a soul of someone that had died here.

Looking closer, he saw more features within it gassy bodies. He could make out ribs, muscles, tore bits of flesh…and so much more. Its face…had a permanent look of terror on the face. Crona couldn't even tell if it really was a human being, or used to be a mutant like with the witches….and other creatures he 'met'.

He moves himself to a more relax position as he sees the soul didn't even flinch at how close he was. Still be cautious, Crona slowly walked to another soul. It looked just as misshaped as the first one had. Walking to another he found the same…and another and another.

Each of these souls were killed, in some fashion or another…that much was obvious. The question of 'by what' didn't matter. What did matter was the fact that they were in such poor shape even as souls…and were taken to the afterlife at all. If this place was somewhere in an isolated space, that would make more sense…but here in Death city, home of a reaper...

Crona holds a hand on his chin in deep thought.

With no Reaper to lead them anywhere, the souls here must have to undergo much horror in the many…many years they have been here. There is still much things left unknown, so much secrets that were not spoken. Crona had seen a lot in his travels in this land, so he couldn't even imagine what must have happen to turn the souls of all the people around him…into mere apparitions of past lives. Past deaths…made as gassy tombstones.

" **Dude…what you waiting for? Ask them something!?** " Ragnarok blears out, nearly startling Crona into jumping in the air, before he nearly shouts back. "D-don't do that!" He then looks to the closest soul to him and says. "…I don't think they are in the mood to talk…ever. They would have said something by now. I'm sorry for what happened to you, for all of you…but I'm not a reaper…there…isn't much I can do for you…I'm sorry."

Crona apologizes, as he brings his head down to look to the ground…and the howling stops.

Looking back up, Crona found the souls gone, with not even one of them in sight. Crona closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, while giving a small nod. A tad bit of respect to the dead, the very least he could do for them.

As Crona turns back to face the front collapse entrance of the School, Ragnarok started to talk again. " **Well that was weird.** " Crona begins to take a few steps back as he agrees with his partner. "Yeah. It was." He then leaps up again, this time only landing on the cracked middle skull the school had, before leaping up to the balcony. "How long you think they were there for? Or rather…have been there for?" Crona ask as he looks back down to the spot where he fell too, and then all around the city.

He remembers briefly again of the old memory of himself and his…

Before he pushes the thought away. " **Don't know…probably when this all started? But even then, that doesn't make much sense. You think this would be the last place that would ever get hit with something. I mean…shit.** " Ragnarok says as Crona lays a hand on the unbroken part of the railing and stares out to the city a bit more.

He remembers all he learns of the soul. How tragedy can mold them in such ways. Even the strongest of them had weakness to pain, and fear. Just how much of those two simple things were forced upon all these people that day…when the world decided to end. All life was changed….be it Kishin, Witch, Meister, Weapon, and maybe…even Reaper.

Giving one last sigh, Crona pushes himself away from the railing and turns his back to the city…entering the opening that lead inside the school. Hoping to find answers…for everyone that had lost their lives in this place.

Walking through several empty halls, and moving aside numerous collapse pieces of the ceiling, Crona was still looking for the answers. " **Oh my god, is there anything here!?** " Ragnarok shouts in annoying as Crona kicks open a doorway…finding another classroom.

He wasn't alone in his annoyance. Crona has had about enough of this as well. The building was a thousand times worst inside than out. Having him must take detours, one after another to try and get to the Death Room. Be it through classrooms, going to different floors entirely to try different stairways…them being intact if he was lucky…or having to leap through holes in the ceiling and/or floors.

There was nothing inside to help him get any info, any piece of paper that was around was aged to the point of dust if they are so much as touched by the air Crona breaths, and even if by some miracle he manages to keep them together for more than a few seconds…the words couldn't even be read at all. The ink, or writing being blending to a mess of some kind.

The chalkboards were completely covered with dust, as with everything else but these especially, and as Crona once tried to wipe the dust away he swore the board was close to falling apart on him. Not to mention the complete lack of light in this place. With only the windows to provide him any…Crona most had to fumble around in the dark in hope of reaching a door…and not falling through the holes into the hallway.

Which had just happened for the fifteenth time, as Crona tries to walk out through the classroom's other door…only to fall down a hole that right there. His chin slams right through the edge of another hole, as he continues to fall…and fall…his body repeatedly slamming and bashing his way down what felt like multiple floors, with each conveniently having a hole for him to fall through right after the other…until finally he lands, face first, right on floor…most likely the ground level now.

" **When did our fucking lives turn into fucking slapstick?** " Ragnarok quietly groans out, as Crona pushes himself back up to his hands and knees. The dark, barely lit place couldn't show Crona face. Not that it was a nice sight to see as Crona…was extremely frustrated now.

The thought of having to traverse the many caved in halls, and multiple floors with holes leading down…enraged the teen as he tightly closes his hands. He just wanted to try and see if he could speak to Death, yet it just felt like this entire place was just making a mockery of him and his goal.

Crona tightly closes his hands into a fist. The thought of just being treated like this…again, a mere plaything by anything. To have any progress he would make, even something as small as a few floors set him back. "Damn it!" Crona shouts as he punches the ground in anger.

His eyes widen as he hears a creaking noise beneath him. "…not a word." He mutters in a low tone to Ragnarok, before the floor under him breaks apart and Crona falls down another floor, this time landing on his back.

His eyes were tightly closed, as he raised one of his hands up to hold the bridge of his nose tightly in annoyance. He takes a long deep breath to try and calm himself, ignoring the smell of dust that assaulted his sense of smell as he pushes himself up to a sitting position, and open his eyes…and sees the he was no longer in some dark hallways of the ruined school…but instead were a in a very familiar place.

The DWMA's dungeon.

"… **don't feel too proud of yourself, that was still dumb.** " Ragnarok tells Crona as the teen pushes himself back to his feet. Crona couldn't even give a reply as he was too stun. The entire academy was destroyed on the inside and outside, with everything falling apart…but aside of the hole that Crona just made, the dungeon looked EXACTLY as it had before.

The grey-ish bricks that littered the walls, the same candles that poorly lit it, the small black lines that section each wall with the black spiked patterns at each corner of those…everything was the exact same. Crona begins to take small careful steps as he begins to walk down the hall, looking around himself as he does. "Um…c-could this be a dream?" Crona asks as he continuously walks forward, placing his hand up to one of the walls…not even a bit of dust on his fingers.

" **Unless your dumb ass manage to knock us both out, I doubt that.** " Ragnarok mumbles back, an unsure sound in his voice. " **I promised myself I never use this pussy word…but this place is fucking spooky.** " Crona gives a look at confusion at that, but before he could ask, Ragnarok continues. " **Look, whatever hit this place…hit it HARD. So hard that I could definitely believe it if this entire underground was all caved in. Yet look…** " Crona looks down the hall in front of him at Ragnarok's command. " **There isn't even a pebble on the ground. This is even cleaner down here then when we lived in it. I'm not sure what the hell is going on here…but I got a not so strange sense that someone is fucking with us. And I don't like it.** "

Crona nods his head, completely agreeing with Ragnarok. With no words spoke he continues to walk down the hall. He looks around himself for anything that would seem off, been they the walls, candles, or even the tiles that he walked on.

As he walks down the hall, it…began to look even more familiar.

He couldn't quite get the feel of why it was familiar, but there was a serious case of familiarity. Crona didn't know why this was the case…till he came upon a set of doors. They were both completely identical as they had a large steel door, which looked fitting to keep something trapped in, with a sliding slot that was eye-level. Carefully opening one of them and peering inside…Crona was in awe as he saw…his room.

It was the same exact room, with even the same exact furniture. The small dresser, the table with a single chair, the small bed, the sink and mirror, the lamp that was screwed on the wall. Placing his hand on the door frame, Crona holds himself as best he could.

The breath could barely reach his lungs at this point. Nothing…nothing changed. Even the window was still fully intact. Ragnarok didn't say anything…he was shocked too. The two just stared at the far side of the room, just…trying to process it all.

Being back here…in this spot. This is one of the places…where Crona hated himself the most. This prison turn dorm room, was a reminder of his mistake. He looks to the window…and he sees a memory of Eruka talking down to him. How he felt Medusa's hold on him begin to show again, how he just followed what she did…he was nothing but a tool to her, and yet he still followed her.

This room…is NOTHING…but a reminder of that, of his failure as her friend. Crona's imagination goes out of control…as he imagines the look on Maka's face when she found out he betrayed her…and as the image comes…so does the rage.

Just as it had before, long back when he was taken and nearly devoured in the swamp, something in Crona leaped into action.

Outside the DWMA, everything seemed normal at the moment as the unchanging skies just continued to loom ever so slightly, and no sound could be heard from miles…that is…until suddenly two black pillars burst out from the entire lower side of the academy, the two lines of destruction cut clean through everything in their path, causing large clouds of sand to erupt as the hit outside the ruin city to the desert...it was moving in a wide pattern, cutting from the bottom of the academy and further to the ground.

And as soon as it arrives, it began to rapidly shrink in size before disappearing.

The souls of those that had fallen in the city had risen once more, looking to the academy for the second time. While before it was of warning, to draw away any that may enter…they now thought differently. A feeling began to emerge within them. Something that they had felt gone after their lives had been taken out of their mortal coils.

Like an old withered flower that had been given fresh water and sunlight…and this flowers name…was Fear.

Within the academy's dungeon, Crona was on the floor. Resting on his side and propping himself up with his arm as he rubbed his eyes…feeling them be completely sore. The moment of complete rage he felt had seem to…become subdue for now.

He gives a small shake of his head to help clear his thoughts as he opens his eyes…and saw what he had done. " **…oh my god.** " Ragnarok mutters, with Crona slightly nodding his head in agreement as the two looked on in what had happened.

They were back in the hallway again, this time on the floor… with Crona's back pressed up against the other door in the hall that was opposite of his room. He could see two long lines of broken floor leading to…what was left of his room's door…and to a large 'opening' in the wall.

It was like as if a bomb had gone off right inside the walls.

Crona could see out at the city, buildings were missing parts of itself…even more than before. Like as if they were simply erased away, like as if they were part of some drawing. Crona stayed his position for a moment longer to regain his sense at what had happened, while Ragnarok was having a more…active reaction to it.

" **Okay…holy shit, I mean…HOLY SHIT!** " He shouts out in amazement as Crona slowly moves back to his feet. " **Dude…oh my fucking god, what…why don't you do that more offend! Hahaha, oh man, I actually forgot you can do that! How the fuck did I forget that, it is so awesome!** " He continues to speak as Crona rubs at his eyes again, feeling them start to sting a little now.

"I…I didn't mean to-" Crona tries to say before Ragnarok stops him. " **Just because you didn't mean to do it, doesn't make it any less badass.** " Crona places his hand down and rolls his eyes in at Ragnarok's attitude. It had been a very long while since he had used that…only about up to six times now since he was attack by the plant monster when he first arrived.

Out of all those times, he only really meant to do about two of those. One to test it…which cause him to propel himself off a cliff, due to immense force that the…'lasers' had, and the second time when he was forced to chase after a creature that had...annoyed him a lot.

Crona then begins to walk into the room itself, or rather what was left of it. The entire backside of the room that had his bed, table, and dresser was all gone now. Looking out the large hole in the wall, he could see much more than before. The hole was bigger than himself.

His 'lasers'…something he realize would have to find a new name for…were never this powerful. They were usually small, like two little lines…then again…he never was…angry when it used them. Crona gently grips the edge of the large hole he created as he mumbles to himself. "…just what am I becoming?"

He then turns around to leave…but stops…as he looks to a certain spot in the room. A comforting memory came to him, as he remembers back to the first time his hope had come to visit him…he was right there at that spot.

Walking to it, and kneeling down…Crona just stares at the corner of the room. "…Hi…Roomsky Korner- or um…Mr. Corner. I don't think I'm allowed to say your full name anymore. S-sorry for…breaking a lot of you." Crona says, with a bit of a sadden smile. Though it doesn't last long as Crona looks to the floor with a lost look in his eyes. "…you think that after all this time, I finally be able to deal with…everything you know…yet here I am…talking to a corner of a room…still not knowing what in the world I am actually doing…ah…" Crona finishes with a sigh, as he places a hand over his eyes.

He must stop himself.

A mental image forces its way into his mind. He could see the himself in this room, in this very spot. Scared, indecisive, and most of all…weak. He pushes the image away from his mind as he moves back up to a standing position.

"I'm sorry, but I am in no position to take anymore childish comforts." Crona says, before he leaves the room and walks back to into the hallway. " **…did you just fucking break up with a corner?** " Ragnarok asks in a confused tone as Crona turns his attention to the other door that was in front of his.

There was a large dent in the door, most likely from when Crona was thrown against it from his own by his own blast. "Ragnarok…did, we have a door in front of us when we lived here?" Crona asks as he feels his partner shift within for a moment…before answering in a still confused tone. " **Actually, no…no, we didn't. It was just like a series of doors going down only one wall.** "

Crona nods, and opens the door to find an answer…

"… **no…fucking…way…** "

Ragnarok took the words right out of Crona's mouth…as the two see…Crona's room again. The same…exact…room. Complete with a feature, and even a window. It was the exact same.

Crona quickly looks back to the other room, he could see the massive damage he made was still there, everything was still in place…so why…how…

" **Bail.** " Ragnarok commands in a quite…dare one think…frighten tone. Crona had to blink his eyes in confusion of what he meant before the demon sword shouted. " **Fucking bail man, this is…this is too freaking spooky here! I say we get the fuck out, cause I swear if two little girls are suddenly gonna show up in that hallway and ask us to come play with them-** "

"Is this really the time for one of your reference!?" Crona shouts back at Ragnarok as he too was clearly disturbed by what is happening to them. " **I'm trying to remain calm, CAN YOU HEAR HOW GOOD OF A JOB I'M DOING!?** " Ragnarok shouts, causing Crona to hold a hand to his head in slight pain of the sheer volume that his partner spoke.

Giving a small groan of annoyance, Crona ignores Ragnarok's pleas and walks further into the room, and looks out the window. "…is…is that painted?" Crona said in realization as he sees the…rather fake looking sky painted on the window. Ragnarok was with him on the confusion as he asked. " **Wait, painted?** "

Crona nods his head. "Yeah…it's painted. You could tell cause…will look." He says before looking back outside through the hole in the wall he made, and back at the painting on the window glass. "None of the clouds are slightly moving…and color is even wrong." Crona says as he walks to the bed, though very old…it was not even touched by dust, and was perfectly made to look like Crona's own…even the dresser, and table looked the same…even the sink, and corner.

His fear had quickly turned into confusion. "Wait…who would go this far to make such a copy of a room…when it is like right in front of the other one. Heck…I think it's even the same material, and color…like exactly. None of this makes any sense." He asks as he tilts his head a little.

" **Hold on a second…Crona go into the hallway.** " At Ragnarok's words, Crona walks back out into the hallway. " **Just start looking around for a bit, I want to test something.** " Although confused by what he was saying, Crona begins to look around the hallway as best he could.

After looking around for what felt like a few minutes, Ragnarok spoke up. " **Wait…look down at that corner, right next to your old room…** " Crona looks where he is told and it was upon that small spot where he had saw…a creak.

A long skinny laceration was along the very bottom of the wall, like a blade had moved through it.

Crona kneels in front of the cut and begin to run his hand along it. Feeling that the edges of it were…uneven. Like whatever had done this, did it with something like claws or…someone was trying to dig a blade into it.

With a shake of his head, Crona rids himself of the thought as he asks. "Ragnarok, what are you trying to prove here?" He feels something of a grip on the back of his head as Ragnarok just mumbles something about him needing glasses. " **Just turn around, numbnuts.** " He says in an annoyed tone.

Turning to look, Crona at first didn't see anything…that was till he looked to the exact other side of the wall as himself…and sees the very same creak. Right there, right next to the door of that…room copy, a small spot right along the very bottom of the wall.

Were it not thanks to the damage he had done, the hallways would be completely…

"Symmetrical." Crona mumbles as his eyes widen in realization, followed shortly with a smile. "Kid...Kid, he…he's alive!" He happily says as he moves up to a standing position. He was giving a breathless chuckle as he holds a hand to his mouth.

" **Uh…Crona, hang on…** " Ragnarok tries to say, as he sees how Crona is walking back and front. Looking down the hallways for something. He could feel his excitement; his heart was literally racing right now. "No, no Ragnarok…this is really him. He is alive and around. He's somewhere here, m-maybe in the dungeon somewhere." Crona says as he walks to one of the rooms. "L-look, there isn't any dust…he cleans it. He can't be far. We can talk to him, ask him about what happened to the world…about what happened to Mak-"

Crona suddenly is nearly thrown off his feet by what felt like the hardest smack he had ever felt. " **Crona! Listen to me!** " Ragnarok shouts as loud as he could. " **Look, I don't mean to be an asshole right now, but I need you think for a bit here.** " As he spoke Crona back away, holding the back of his head as it ached in pain. " **We do not know shit. Okay, remember what's her name?! The frog bitch! She was mutated into some literal frog bitch, and tried eating us! Those souls outside used to be normal, till WHATEVER happened to them made them look like god damn horror shows. For crying out loud, not too long ago we saw a giant cow…beetle…thing, with T-rex arms, and fur that was permiantly on fire!** "

Crona tightly closes his eyes as he lets his hand drop back down. "And what you are trying to tell me…is that Kid could be-" " **-a little different than you remember.** " Ragnarok interrupts him, with Crona feeling him shifting around in him, like he was crossing his arms. He was giving a very serious tone, one of which Crona doesn't hear that often.

"…that's not him. It never was, he is not like the Eruka-" He tries to say back, back he feels his head begin to hurt now…as if a hand of gripping his head. " **Sure, he isn't. And what do you have to go on for that? It's been about 2,000 years…I mean it's not like it is possible he got a personality quirk or two right along the way, right?** " At his words, Crona's eyes are drawn back to look at the two rooms that face each other. A part of him wanted to deny it…but, Ragnarok was right.

" **Look…I am not trying to be a buzzkill, I know you are more than happy to see one of your 'friends' again…but trust me, time changes people. It certainly changed you…** " Ragnarok finish, releasing the hold he had on Crona, and speaking in a more…understanding tone.

Crona knew very well what he was referring to, that being his 'changes'. The two can very well remember the first time he had snapped with Eruka….and the several times after that he did something similar to others…

" **And judging by the fact that while as OCD cray as that dumbass was, he was never crazy enough to change entire hallways and rooms to look-a-like…it changed him too. So…knowing this, how exactly are we doing this?** " Crona looks to the floor, holding a hand to his face. He weights the options in his head.

He could leave now, never turn back and just either try to look for answers elsewhere. But…he couldn't do that. Unbelievably luck had struck him when he came upon this ruin city. It could take him, who knows how long to even find this place again, to have another chance of getting any answers.

With a glance, Crona sees the destroyed wall of his own creation…he sees what remained of the city, he remembers what remains of the souls here. A realization hit him then…souls were right outside the building and a reaper might be inside…so why were they reaped.

Someone has been slaking at their job.

Crona began to walk down the hall. "We're gonna met him and we are gonna have words with the reaper." He tells Ragnarok as the move pass the doors and further down the barely lit halls. His partner staying silent, only giving the briefest feeling of what have been a shrug in response.

…how such a grievous mistake was made.

* * *

 **(Okay, this is gonna be the ONLY Author's notes this entire story, so I am gonna make it count, Please listen. This story is NEVER gonna die. I keep work on it everyday as best as I can, but I want you to know that it will take time to be made, and I still have other things to do, I have had to slit this part into two parts so that you all know I am not abandoning it for sure. I really do not like the idea of doing that cause I wanted to have this story be about 8 chapters. If you prefer if I give two half's of each, or I give one whole thing please tell me. I am only gonna make a expectation for the this chapter and the next, till someone says otherwise.)**


	3. SOUL (p2)

Crona did not at all travel that far from the twin rooms, barely even a few steps away…before it was as if…the ground itself opened right under his feet, and he began to fall.

And he fell.

And he fell.

His screams of shock and horror, reached no ears…not even his own…as he was no longer in the same world as any other living being. For as time changed, so has the nature of Death, where it now resides within a place that is completely unlike anything before seen from the childish 'Death Room' the previous Reaper had. This place was massively different.

It was like some the point of reality where chaos and order meet and meld.

There was gravity, and yet none.

There was time, and yet none.

There was light, and yet dark.

There was nothing, and yet everything.

All around Crona, he saw many things, that his mind could barely take. He and Ragnarok both couldn't even seem to be able to gain any sense in what was happening around them, not even the direction that they were falling in as they found themselves going upward…downward…left…right…all at complete random as everything around them changed.

It wasn't long before they began to find the same changes on themselves.

Such a Journey is something even the worst of evil would wish upon their worst enemies. Yet somehow in this place, Crona…somehow seemed to push on. In a place with no floor, he gains his footing. In a place with no air, he breathed.

This place was made to try and break people. As it is part of colony of strange myriad dimensions, of inconceivable realties. Yet he pushed on. Moving pass his panic state as he tries to gain control of what was happening.

Whatever hold this place tried to keep on him kept breaking and grabbing on again. As if it were a child that could just barely reach to grab its new toy, yet it would squirm and move out of its hands before it had a tight grip.

Such a feat is both a spiritually and physically taxing experience as it did not leave Crona unharmed. It stretches, molds, and twist his body. Push bones to their limits as they felt like glass about to be broken, making his skin feel as if it were turning into a liquid and make it melt off his bones, crushing and mangling every cell within his body, even shattering him apart into nothing but specks in the wind.

For a lesser being this could be a fatal endeavor.

Yet Crona pulls himself back to normal. No matter what this place throws at him. It seems that he would not surrender to it. He just simply endures it, pushing on forward as if it were having but a minimal effect on his being. He always holds true to himself somehow.

His journey ends dramatically, as the world shatters apart from him like glass, freeing him from the torture before closing itself behind him.

Leaving Crona to be completely and utterly confused as he picks himself off the ground and looks around himself. "What- how- why, I- I-I…" He mumbles out as he as he tries to regain his bearings. He places his hand on his chest, and moves them around his body. He was clearly disoriented after what had just happened. "Arms…legs…body…head…Ragnarok?" He asks out loud as he looks around, trying to see where he was right now.

Whatever had just happened seemed to have no lasting effects on Crona as he appeared just the same as before, however…the trip seemed to have some…effect on Ragnarok himself, leaving the black blood creature…a bit…scatterbrained. " **Apple sauce and cheese puffs with criminal oatmeal…reasons.** " The Demon sword said back in a completely dizzy and sick tone.

Crona gives a look of confusion as he hears Ragnarok's reply, never really hearing such a tone from him before. He hoped that his friend wasn't sick…he didn't really know how to deal with that right now. "Um…okay…R-Ragnarok, are you okay?" Crona ask with concern. " **We need to kill them all, all of them…pineapple on pizza is a SIN! IT'S A SIN! Coconuts of the birds of Taco-** " Ragnarok shouts as he begins to continue talking, saying things that didn't even begin to relate to one another and even cutting himself off mid-sentence.

Crona just continues to be confused as he gave his head a tilt and gives a low 'huh' sound. He tries to get his mind off Ragnarok for now as he looks around them again, his eyes getting more used to the darken area. "Well Ragnarok…I…I don't know where we are…but I still think we are in the Academy." He mumbles, as he begins to block out Ragnarok's…nonsense while still talking to him.

The teen was right…they were still in the academy, but somewhere else. No longer in the dungeon hallways, that was for sure, but someplace deeper now. Someplace…familiar. Crona places a hand to his head as he tries to piece together where is he, even tapping his own forehead as it that would help him. "Ah, where am I...I know this place…when did I-" He was interrupted mid-thought as Ragnarok begins to loudly shout out random stuff. " **Spicy…extra spicy tea! With biscuits of raspberry jam!** "

Crona presses his hand on his face, as he gives a small groan of annoyance. "Ragnarok, you're not helping…ugh…" Going further to ignore the loud voice in his head, Crona then notices something down the hall in front of him, a small bit of blue light that seem to faintly hum. The light was slightly pulsing as it faded in and out of view a bit along the floor. Crona looks at it for a moment longer, seeing the light was unchanging as it remained in place, before he looks back to the complete darken hallway behind him. "Well…I don't have many choices to roam here. Un...well um…" Crona gulps nervous as he begins walking to the direction of the light, slowly as he could so that his feet wouldn't make much sound.

He imagines Ragnarok probably saying something to him about how 'this is something dumb teenagers do to get themselves kill' or something along those lines…though currently said fool was occupied with singing the lyrics to a song that Crona didn't know. " **She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes, she'll be coming around the mountain when she comes. I'll kill you Nazis! She'll be coming ar-** " Becoming agitated and even more annoyed from the outbursts, Crona gives a hard punch to his own head to try and silent the voice. It worked…for now, silencing Ragnarok as he makes some comment of taking a nap, Crona was thankful for that as it allowed him to think and to hope that this was only temporary and Ragnarok would be back to his…slightly less annoying self soon.

At least he was funny before, although Crona would never admit that to him aloud.

Pressing his back to the wall, Crona slowly began to look around the corner of the hallway where the blue light came from…and it was there he saw a doorway. A large black door, with large red frame around it. A skull-ish design was at the center of it with golden bars around it. The blue light was shining through the bottom of the door, along its sides, and even down the middle of the doorframe.

Crona remembered now, what this is. Or at least may have been.

This is the DWMA's Secret Vault.

He remembers back to when Medusa told him of this place. How it was hidden through numerous tunnels underneath the Academy, how It held many different things inside. The door to the room didn't look to so much as have a dent on it or even a speck of dust after the many years. It would make sense…being this far underground and for most likely having the most security of the entire academy.

If there was anyone here, it would be behind this door.

Nervousness began to creep into Crona's being. What Ragnarok said earlier was still true, that Kid could be different in ways he doesn't even know. So much has happened here, and the souls outside were in pain…yet he was doing nothing. Whatever happened had clearly changed Kid, maybe for the worst. So, while taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Crona moves to open the door.

Before he could touch it though…a voice called out to him. "It's impressive how you managed to get through the Nexus of Reality so well Crona…it's meant to break lessor beings down. Wither their brains down to much lower levels, to the point that they become so numb to everything they either can't even make sense of their hands or even remember how to breathe. Yet you manage to act like nothing has happen to you at all." The voice was deep, and powerful…yet carried a deep tone of it, of something that was old and maybe even tired. "Enter…it has been long since I've had a guest."

Crona hand was held an inch away from the door, completely still since the voice had spoken. It had strike something within him…the same old feeling of fear he had when he first met Death…the same feeling of how small he was compared to it. Everything was quiet around him, the only sound he could hear was his own heart as it was rapidly beating in complete panic. He was regretting coming here, he was terrified of what he was gonna see, what was he was gonna do, what was he doing here- " **Welcome to the thunder-dome, bitch!** "

"AH!" At Ragnarok's sudden scream at his head, Crona jumps forward in fear…accidently knocking into the door, and with his added strength…the old door didn't stand a chance as Crona literally tackles it off its hinges.

Picking himself off from the floor, Crona quickly looks at what he done. "What happened to taking a nap!?" He screams at Ragnarok as he looks down to the large dent he made in the double doors. " **Two men enter, one-man banana- snore…** " Crona begins to feel his annoyance grows to actual anger as Ragnarok begins to poorly pretend he was taking another nap. He was snapped out of it though as he realizes the shadow that was in front of him. "Eh, sorry! I-I didn't mean to, R-Ragnarok scared me and I-I…" He tries to speak as he looks up from the doors he knocked down…and is struck silent as he saw what was in front of him. The room itself seemed like what one would expect, for a 'secret vault' of the DWMA. Various old tools, machines, even old torture devices, and other things Crona couldn't even name where what looked to be have been careful place and organize across the entire room, to the point that everything looked symmetrical in shape.

Though these…trinkets were nothing compared to the two things that really caught Crona's attention as they were what stood in the middle of the room. One of the things was…what could only be described as a well.

An actual well.

It seemed normal, and rather old looking, and it didn't look like it was coming that far from the ground, just a few inches…but what was coming out from it, was something…something else.

It was a bright shining blue light, that seemed…alive somehow. It was moving and spiraling in the air around the entire room, breathing…pulsing with life. There were even smaller specs of light within it…as if it were filled with the stars themselves.

But the bright light, was heavily contrast but what stood in front of it. A tall black cloaked figure. For a moment, Crona thought that it was Lord Death…but he knew better, that person wasn't the same goofy nice man that offer Crona the chance to be with his 'hope'.

The one standing in front of this well wasn't that. It was…Kid. One of her friends, the same one that was the second to comfort him about his…gender issue, and who helped him learn the most about this school. It was easy to tell it was him, because of his hair…even after all this time, there were those three white lines that circled around it…only difference was that they were complete halos now…and were also floating above his head.

"All these years, and you decided to make an entrance…heh…my, how have you changed Crona." Kid spoke, the voice from earlier was coming from him. It alone was almost enough to make Crona think he was wrong…but this new reaper remembered him. "K-Kid…is that you?" He asks out, to be certain.

A sigh of eased joy comes from the figure in front of the well. "Ahhh…no one has called me that for a pretty long time. It's usually just 'Lord Death' or simply 'reaper' now-a-days…then again, I don't get much visitors so, feel free to call me what you like. It's…nostalgic being called that again." He says in a pleased tone, one a bit unfitting for a voice like his.

"K-Kid…I…I…" Crona tries to speak but he was beginning to stutter and his body was starting to shake…his nerves were getting the better of him. It was one thing talking to Eruka…she was just a witch, a monster…this was one of his…'friends', the ones he had betrayed and forgotten. But Kid was not pushing him at all. "It's okay…take your time. Time is all we have in this place after all." He said in a lax tone.

Taking a few deep breaths…Crona pushes himself to his feet, deciding the best thing he could do…was be straightforward. "What happened?" The reaper doesn't even turn to look at him, choosing instead to continue staring at the well. "To what exactly? The school, the planet, or me? You need to be more specific Crona...a lot happened since you've been gone…heh…funny, it almost felt like it was right after, now that I think about it." He said, tilting his head a little from side to side as he spoke.

Crona began to slowly step forward, placing a hand on his chest to try and calm his heart down as he spoke. "I…I know things aren't right…and so much time has passed-" Crona flinches a bit as Kid interrupted him. "2,073 years, 11 months, and 14 days to be exact…not that I was keeping track or anything." He tells him, while giving a shrug of his shoulders. It was such a casual way of speaking but his tone…his voice…made it hurt for Crona to listen to it.

"…how?" He barely whispers out as he continues to walk forward.

Kid seem to understand what he was implying. "How did the world suddenly begin to end? Well…that in itself is a long story…but I'll shorten it for both of our sakes." He tells Crona, before tilting his head again and asking. "How aware are you of life outside this planet?"

The question makes Crona pause for a moment, before he remembers back to what Eruka told him about the things that happened to the world. "…enough to know that it exists…apparently." He says back, much more of a dry tone then he intended to. He didn't like talking about her.

Kid scoffs at that answer. "Heh…that was more than I knew, that's for sure. It all happened so fast and with so many things at once. I remember one day, looking outside as we tried to direct everyone…witches, weapons, normal people…all together to try and save this world. My oh my…have we failed, so…spectacularly." That was the first time Crona saw Kid's hands as he gave a wave with them both at the end of his sentence.

He…is wearing black gloves now, very tight skin-tight ones with claw-like tips on the edge of his fingers…completely opposite of his father's.

Kid continued to speak as he lays his hands down at his sides. "It was on that day that I saw…six lights coming down from the stars to our little earth. Even from…millions of miles away…I could feel the unbelievable power that they had. I watched as one…just one of those…completely and utter decimate the 'black moon' that you made to entrap that monster who killed my father...heh…" Kid gives another scoff, either completely oblivious to the shock that ran through Crona's core…or just didn't care.

The black blood teen was holding a hand to his head as he began to picture it in his mind. That light was the reason he was here now…why he was back here…now…in this hell on earth. Crona didn't know wither to be angry or confused. Meanwhile Kid just kept talking. "Just pow! Right through it, like a bullet through a sheet of paper. Hehehe….it be funny if that hadn't caused the deaths of billions." He finishes with another shrug.

"Things were as bad as it could possibly be…and then somehow when those lights came down, it made it all worst. Things you couldn't even imagine Crona." He says, losing his lax tone. Changing to one more sadden, drenched with age. "I spent…so long, so tiredly…looking for one…just one…of these lights…and after just a thousand years…and over 90 percent of all life on this world dying out to the horrors that rose in the wake of its end…did I find it. I…found it…I found it." His shoulders begin to shake, as his head looks down.

Hearing him repeat himself, Crona began walking to him again. "…you found all the sources of the lights?" He asks, only to stop again as he sees Kid hold up his hand in the air…and in-between his thumb and index finger was a…small…green gem stone. About as big as a tiny rock. "Yeah…no…I found, a single source of those lights, and here it is!" He yells, his voicing shocking Crona as it sounded to be a mix between anger and…just disbelief.

Kid then pulls the gem back, holding it in front of himself. "Simply amazing, isn't it…this little gem." He shakes his head a bit. "…I've crushed literal bugs, bigger than it. Yet…Crona, this little gem, holds more power than I could even claim in all my…or ANY reaper, witch's, or even god's entire existence!" He holds the gem in view again, and Crona begins to walk forward again…getting a better look at the object.

He couldn't believe what Kid was saying. The gem in his hand was no different than any other kind of jewelry. Just a pretty rock…yet with what Kid was saying…

"It is no exaggeration Crona…believe me, I had seen it do so much…lost so much to it." He says as his tone changes again to something more bitter tone as he moves the gem again to look at it. "It is called the Soul Gem. A name that truly doesn't give the fear and feeling of awe-inspiring that something this powerful deserves. With it, the sentient being that holds it is able manipulate the very fabric of a person's soul…everything that makes that person who they are, that makes them exist…is all up to the mercy of the bear's will." He tightly closes his hand around the gem.

It was easy to tell that…it pained him to talk about it. "Never has there been such an almighty and unique weapon…so imagine my horror, when I realized that there were more of these. Each one just as powerful as the last, with each controlling the entire concept of a person's being...I…was scared Crona, I was truly scared." Crona was right behind him now…he sees the robe he wore was…in tatters, underneath it seemed that he also wore his normal outfit…though it was obviously very worn out. There was also…a silver pole on each side of his hip, probably a weapon.

"I'm…sorry." Crona tells him, as he looks down to the ground. He was sincere about it. He believed that it was unfair for this to happen. That he was able to just…sleep all this time, while Kid had to suffer through it, had to push himself through it all day by day. He watches as Kid give another shrug. "It's fine, as…heartless as it may sound, I had gotten over this realization after a couple of years. I've given up entirely after I had gain this gem. I had no friends, no family, and not even a purpose anymore." The reaper…then turned to look at him…it was just a glance over his shoulder but it was enough for Crona to see…

He really had changed.

The Reaper mask he wore on his face…wasn't the same as his father's…this one was much more skeletal, less childish. It just seemed to grab at his face, almost like it was digging into it. His eyes were also different…completely black save for his pupils as they glowed an orange hue, still retaining their skull shape at least. But the skin under the mask…what little that Crona could see between the bone-like veil he wore, and the black grown-out hair he had…it was…grey, rotten, sickly.

He couldn't look at it for long as Kid looked back to the well in front of him, or rather the gem in his hand. "…this gem, I had used it to create what stands before us now…the Infinity Well. Come…look in it. It's alright, you can do it." Kid changed his tone, now he was speaking…in the same calm and patronizing tone as one would do for a small child, it annoyed Crona a bit…but he followed what Kid said. Slowly walking to the stand next to him…and Crona had to hold himself back from gasping, or letting the reaper now how shocked he was…as he saw more of him.

If the mask and skin weren't enough to tell he was completely different…the fact that his chest was completely bare sure did…and by bare, Crona would be very literal. Bare of skin and muscle…and most of his ribs, showing his still beating heart…it was as if something ripped his chest open. The gem was no longer in his hands now.

Crona eyes just stared at it in complete shock for he didn't even know how long…it wasn't till he saw Kid looking back at him that he manages to rip-his eyes away from the sight…and to the well. And in a single moment his mind was taking from Kid's body horror, and to the beauty of the well.

The outside was amazing…but inside…

"…nice isn't it. Within its cosmic vortex lies universal knowledge of unimaginable possibilities. Within this realm are no barriers of knowledge, such depths aren't meant for anyone…even me." Kid mutters as he walks closer to Crona. Placing a hand on the black blood teen's shoulder.

Crona didn't even acknowledge it. His mind…just moved elsewhere.

It was like looking in some endless tunnel of light, stars…all moving together as one mind, body, and soul. Words couldn't capture what he sees.

"This is where I learned everything." Kid told him, speaking in such a disrespectful tone again. Treating Crona like a…well a kid, ironically…but as much as Crona wanted to say something back to him about this…he couldn't, something about the well was just…drawing him in. Before he knew it, he was on his hands and knees, trying to see deeper into it. Kid's words finally connect in Crona's mind.

"E-everything?" He asks, his voice just barely above that of a whisper as he doesn't break eye-contact from within the well. Kid's hand tightens on his shoulder as his tone begins to turn…harsh. "Everything." It sounded as he bones begin to creak as he lowers himself to speak into Crona's ear. "…Just think it Crona, and the knowledge, the answers…are yours to know. What is it you want to know about the most Crona? What happened exactly after you sealed yourself away, what happened to the witches after the Kishin was dealt with, or…perhaps none of those things matter to one. But I know what will."

He reaches up to the heart within his chest with his free hand, lightly pressing his hand on it as it glowed a faint green glow. "Just think it, as the question in your mind…and while gazing into the abyss, it will gaze back into you the answer." There was a long list of things one in Crona's position would seek, answers to the many unknown questions of life, ways to help fix this world, how to fix oneself…but none of those mattered to him.

Hope…his hope, that is all that mattered to him.

She…was all that mattered.

Tears begin to form in his eyes, his breath begins to be caught in his throat, his arms begin to quiver…just barely able to hold himself up anymore. With his eyes tightly closed, tears still managing to escape their hold…the boy…the tortured, lonely, scared boy ask-…begs to the depths for one…simple answer. "M-…Maka…what happened to Maka?"

Her name leaving his lips, felt like a knife in his heart…he was not worthy to even utter, nor even think it…yet the pain he felt…was nothing compared to the horribleness of what came after.

No sooner than when he finished mumbling her name…the answer came to him.

Maka, his angel…his hope. The kindest, most beautiful, caring being in all aspects of life to him. The one that saved him, twice from his own despair. Who pulled him out of the darkness into her light. Who he…he loved with all his heart…

…was dead right before his eyes.

She hadn't died protecting the lives of her friends, she hadn't died in some way to prevent an inevitably, she hadn't died murdering a monster…she tripped.

She was one of the many faces of many crowds as they were trying to escape with their lives as hundreds of horrible things were happening around them. To try and find shelter.

And she tripped, and fell…and…and…and broke her neck. The cause of her death, was just a random rock, that was there…no doubt from the many destroyed buildings near-by. She tripped…fell…and couldn't catch herself in time, as her skinny, soft neck…meet the hard gravel of the stone…

He saw it happening in front of him as if he were there.

The people with her, fellow students, witches, civilians…they didn't care…he watched as they stomped on her corpse…as they trampled her body, what was left was…almost unrecognizable to Crona…

His mind…became blank.

His eyes turn dull as they just glace forward, he hadn't even realized that he moved to an upright position. Everything was…gone to him. His arms laid limp at his arms, they did not even twitch…no part of him moved…as Kid laid his hand on Crona's shoulders. "Such pain…such sorrow…I hope that you found what it is you are looking for Crona. Not all questions, are to be answered… one must have something to take with them to their grave." As Kid spoke, he then slowly removes his hand from Crona's shoulder…and reaches for the sliver poles on his waste.

With just a grip, the poles extended to at least arm length…before both sprouted blades…revealing them to be small duel-scythes. With no hesitation, Kid placed the scythes on the side of Crona's neck…the edges of the blade, digging into his skin. "I will release you from this life, but no comfort for your soul. That is the only mercy I can give you...Kishin." He then slowly brings the blades back, readying to strike. "Demon swordsman, Crona…child of the witch, Medusa. You are charged with the crimes of all that you had murdered, and for you being the suspicious result of your 'sacrifice' leading to the end of the world…I sentence you to death…" Kid spoke, keeping his harsh tone. But even with the blades on his neck about to come down on him, Crona did not move. Not even flinch.

Kid gives a low scoff, as he mutters out. "You know…in a way, you're the lucky one out of the two of us, maybe one day you'll get to see our friends again…you might even get to see Maka again…Goodbye Crona."

He then throws his blades forward, to end the horrible life of one…Crona.

If only he were he that boy, the same that fell to tears as he was hug for the first time…the same one that didn't know how to deal with much of anything…the same one that full of regret for all the terrible things that he had done…that was frail, and scared to fully fight back…he would have died.

…Crona was no longer that boy.

At the mention of HER, her name leaving his lips, questions came flashing through his head…where were her friends as she died, where was he as his Maka died in the street like a dog, and was continuously stepped on like a bug. The lifelessness in his eyes were gone, the sorrow in his heart was replaced by rage, and for a fraction of a second…as Kid was bringing his blades down to Crona's neck…something within the reaper, told him that he had just committed a big mistake.

When the blades came stuck Crona's neck…nothing happened. The skin…didn't even gain a little cut. Kid was stun in silence as the blades did nothing…this was impossible. The blades he had were created the same as way as with the Infinity Well, there were made to withstand and pierce through the strongest flesh.

He stands in shock as Crona picks himself from the floor, continuing to face the well. "Was this your intent, Reaper? To shatter my mind with such grim realization, and then murder me as if I were one of those pathetic creatures your father hunted down." Before Kid could attempt to give a reply, he was suddenly sent across the room as the back of Crona's hand slams into his mask.

Kid's body hits the side of the room, crashing straight through the many objects and machines he had stacked and organized through the years. The loudness of the noise was enough to wake up a certain someone from their sudden nap. " **Wimmy Wham-Wham Wozzle!** " Ragnarok called out, still in that dizzy tone. Crona simply says back to him. "Ah, I was wondering why I was suddenly able to think two consent thoughts without being interrupted."

He was distracted though by the sudden voice to not see a blur of unimaginable speed rushes to him. He was barely able to see what had hit him as he suddenly found himself picked up in the air, and thrown right to the other side of the room parallel to when he sent kid flying, only difference being instead of crashing through, his body just slams into it…which results in the entire collection of trinkets from the past…all falling on him in an almost comedic fashion.

"Arh, that hurt." He mumbles as he begins to force his eyes open, feeling the inside of his head begin to throb in pain. The sudden movement and hard impact really weren't what he needed right now…however it seemed to be enough to finally snap Ragnarok from his scatterbrain state of mind. " **Ah, my fucking non-existent head! What is happening right now!? Where the fuck am I?! Why does everything taste like purple and orange had a baby girl?!** " He yells as he sees that Crona was trapped under a large pile of machines and other stuff.

" **Oh god damn it, why is it every time I take a nap I find your ass in some…errr! I swear to god you're like a New York times newspaper, there's always a new issue of the same bulshit.** " Ragnarok yells in frustration as Crona begins to push himself up, tossing aside anything that was on him with little effort.

Kid's voice echoes behind, speaking as if…multiple of him were talking at once. "You've really have changed since the last two millennia…You are certainly stronger." Turning around, Crona was met…with a 'interesting' sight. Kid was standing there, his duel scythes in each hand, his mask broken at the side of which Crona had hit him. Allowing Crona to see some of his face…which almost made him regret hitting him.

Ragnarok was more than enough to voice his disgust. " **Oh my god, what happened to his face?! Gross he looks like a zombie faced fucked an avocado!** "

Crona holds the urge to roll his eyes as he quietly mutters back. "Ragnarok." But the demon sword didn't pay any mind to him as he continues to speak about Kid's face. " **Ugh...he looks like the inside of Freddy Krueger's asshole.** "

"Ragnarok!" Crona now calls out to him as he sees Kid staring him down, the teen holds one arm up, while he places the other near his hip. He really needed to focus now, as Kid looked to ready himself. Crona could see as orange light begins to spark off him like electricity. "What is h-" Crona tries to mutter before he his thoughts are interrupted by Ragnarok. " **Now I know why so many people are scared to stare into the face of Death.** "

"RAGNAROK!" Crona shouts with pure annoyance, he was distracted once more…suddenly Kid was in front of him in a rushing movement, his scythes scaping on the floor.

Crona quickly throws his arm up, in an attempt block…but only for Kid to turn back into a black blur to change directions again…the reaper was behind him…the blades just centimeters to his eyes…Crona was just barely able to think before the blade was slashed across his face.

Crona falls to the floor, holding his right hand to his face as a burning pain was on his face. "Ah, darn it!" He mutters as he pulls his hand away, seeing no blood on it. His vision was not impaired, but the burning pain he felt was unlike any blade he felt…

He then sees why, as Kid stands near the well again, staring into it…his scythes blade edges were glowing the same orange glow as the sparks of lighting around him. "I must say Crona…You truly have become more durable through the years. I guess that just simply means that I need to place more force behind my strikes." With that…something begins to grow from the back of Kid's back…it was only a whole second…before two skeletal wings shoot from his back.

Crona flinches back from shock at the sudden appendages, and watched in shock as they gave a few flaps to stretch themselves out. They looked to be held together by the tatters of Kid's robe…as well as what might be muscle tissue. " **Oh, that is just fucking disgusting.** " Ragnarok mumbles, with Crona very well agreeing with him.

There wasn't even a blur this time…before could even notice anything, Crona suddenly found himself out in the hallway on his back, howling in pain as his chest was literally sizzling. The pain was delivered so quickly and fierce that Crona could barely move, having to really force himself to look down at his chest…and sees a long red, steaming, slash mark on his chest, going down to his stomach and side.

Seeing such a mark on one's body…Crona couldn't help but be reminded of the time where he saw Soul shirtless once. The irony was not lost on him.

" **Okay…oh fuck…i-is it me, or is it burning up in here?** " Ragnarok asks, while Crona tries to ignore the pain and move. But before he could even get to an upright position, his head was slammed down into the floor again, a noticeable dent on the concrete ground as it was starting to break apart underneath him due to the force. "I do not think so, Demon swordsman."

Kid's voice spoke, causing Crona to snap his eyes open as he looks around for the reaper…and finds him just standing right there in the doorway to the secret vault. His bone wings were folding in on themselves, and his scythes were on his hips.

"You have gone unpunished for your crimes far too long. It is time I did put an end to you." Kid spoke as orange sparks still show on his body, before they slowly die down. "I give you this one chance to lay your arms down and accept your demise. I had not counted on you being so…resilient."

Crona pushes himself up again, glaring right at Kid with a look of cold malice. "Put…an end to me? For what reason?! Your father…MAKA…proved more than ever that I…I was just a tool. That I never wished to harm anyone. I simply did as I was told." Crona growls out, feeling his insides were boiling as sweat moves down his brow.

Kid didn't even flinch or made any movement as he watches Crona stand up. "And what did you do after you were acquitted, hmm? Oh right…you betrayed us…you left us…and you became your mother's 'tool' all over again." He said, his words striking Crona's heart like a spear, causing the teen to briefly look away for a moment.

"…I felt as if I had no choice." He mutters out, before looking back at Kid. "You do not know of the torment that it has rot on me, so don't you dare speak of it, Reaper." Crona spoke louder, his voice…matching more of a certain snake witch's with how low and cold it sounded.

There was movement this time, as Kid gives a scoff. One the eyes under his mask moving a little…as if he was amused by Crona's response. He raised his hand up and pointed one of his claw-like fingers to Crona. "But you DID have a choice, and that choice caused the deaths of many lives."

The low sound of knuckle creaking is heard, as Crona tightly closes his fist. "Yeah…and I choice poorly…" Crona began in a somber tone...before he gives a smirk and said. "…much like your father did when he decided he should try again with another son."

" **DAAAAAAAAAAAMN!** " Ragnarok loudly laughs out, almost so much that Crona wished that Kid to could hear it too…though the small victory was taken from them as Kid rushes forward and grabs Crona by the neck, slamming him into the floor again, with much more force then before as Crona was now slightly embedded to it.

Kid kept his hand on Crona's throat as he tightens his grip further, as if trying to sink his claws through the skin. "You would dare to bring up my father?! What of your mother Crona?! How many lives has she taken through her many years? How many souls have suffered because of her?!" He loudly questions before he moves in flash, and Crona found himself slamming into the side of the wall, right next to the secret vaults entrance.

"Erh…W-whatever the number may be…it surely pales…in comparison to that number of people you failed…Reaper." Crona spat the title out, as if saying it was an insult, which due to the massive failure that said Reaper feels about himself…it most likely was.

"Err! You…" Crona then feels himself dragged around…almost like he was flying, before he is slammed into a far side wall at the end of a hallway. " **Uhh, Crona…as much as I love the fact that you are shit talking someone so much right now…I am kinda hoping you are not pulling a what's his name-star…and are actually able to back your talk up.** " Ragnarok cry's out in a panicking tone. Crona knew what he was referring to, truth was that the reason that Crona was speaking back to Kid in such a way…was so that he could buy himself some time to think up of a plan.

The Reaper's speed was almost no match for him, always moving faster than he could see. Crona needed to get him to stay in one spot…and close enough so that he wouldn't be able to dodge. Till then…well…he's learned to take a beating through the years.

After having his body have his body smashed right up against another wall, Crona then finds himself up on the floor, rolling to a stop right back in front of the well. "Ehh…what, have another thing to show me? Please…tell me it's the look on Liz's and Patty's face when they died." Crona coughs out, trying to bait Kid some more.

But as he looks up…he sees the Reaper was standing in front of the well, staring at it. This time Crona could focus on kid's eyes…as they just seemed to be glanced over. "…I cannot let my anger control me, not at this moment." He spoke as he places his hands behind his back and turns his head to look at Crona. "…I was not only speaking of your crimes in the far past Crona. I was also speaking of the one we are currently suffering from." He spoke in a cooler tone, losing all anger he had it seems.

"What are you talking about?" Crona asked as he begins to catch his breath, trying to study Kid for any moment he could use to attack. Kid turns away, to look back into the well. "I have asked the well, numerous times…what had truly caused everything to happen to us…and it would not show me anything really. Yet when I ask it…what the future holds for this world before 'the end' comes…I see you…YOU…a child of an evil witch, a Kishin…you are the future that the infinity shows, and nothing more." Kid turns back to face Crona, the orange sparks lighting up around him as he takes his scythes out again. "I know what that means, you…are the end…'The end' that the Infinity Well shows. That means that all that needs to be done is your death…then everything will eventually return to normal."

Crona could see on the reveal part of Kid's mask, his sickly skin was creaking as a smile was forming. He tries to brace himself as the reaper began to set forward, as well as the wings behind his back fold out again. He was starting to realize the danger here much more. It may take a while, but with that speed and his burning scythes…Kid could kill him here if he is not careful.

He needed to set Kid off…but not with anger like before…he needed something else.

Something more like what would always stop him in his tracks.

Pulling himself off the ground again for the numerous time that day, and taking a quick breath…Crona lays is arms down, and stands up straight. "Boy…you're delusional." Crona spoke in a…near melancholy tone, mix something like that of a parent speaking done with her child out of sheer disappointment. It was easy to see that it threw Kid off as he paused for a moment.

"You simply are a lost cause now. Think that something called 'the end' can be stopped, with something as minor as killing a single person?" Crona slightly shakes his head. "I have no words to comment on such a narrow-minded gasp of mind. But I cannot blame you…I know what it's like to lose, to feel so desperately that you're right, and to fail all the same. It was a lesson that I was taught a long time ago…yet, even with your many years of experience…it seems that you still fail to truly grasp such a lesson." Crona takes a step forward, watching as Kid takes a minuscule step back in response.

He looked confused for a bit in his eyes, before it turned to anger. No hint of the glanced over look he had earlier as he stared at the well. "You…dare to talk to me like that? Speaking like I am a child that is not to be taken seriously." Kid retakes his step forward as the orange lighting shoots from him now. Yet Crona doesn't flinch as a bolt nearly hits him. He stands his ground and crosses his arms as he stared right at Kid.

"The only matter I do not take seriously, boy, is you." He says…his voice somehow seeming to…deeper, older with due to his tone. "Your hopes that something of this magnitude, that simply killing one man could result with 'everything will eventually return to normal', it resembles the demeanor and thoughts like that of a pouty child that knows no better." Kid's anger falters as he takes a few steps back, looking back to the well again.

It was only for a moment though as he rips his eyes away to look to the ground in front of him. "No…it's not, it's the way things must be. It will be that way again, I am assured of this and not-" Crona's voice cuts through his own.

"You're boring me."

Kid's eyes shoot up to look at Crona, seeing him just continuing to glare at him. Anger moves through his body and with his speed he lunges at Crona, pinned him into the ground as each scythe blade was pressed up against his neck. "You call me BOY! But there is simply no other way to see anything Crona! Your demise was the only hope I had, I had watched on for years, waiting for you to show yourself as you somehow seem to elude the Infinity Well, just as any vision of 'the end' does! You must die Crona! There is no other way, please!" Kid screamed as he tried to cut through the sides of Crona's neck with his scythes, the teen trying to keep him back by holding his arms.

The blades were burning into his skin, with steam pouring out as Crona was screaming through grinding teeth at the pain. But it seemed that at most the things could only brand him. Kid tries to pull away, his plan being that he truly need speed, much more force in order to do the deed of finally taking Crona's head…but as he tried to pull away, Crona kept his hold…and that's where Kid saw something…though he wasn't sure if it was due to the light reflecting off the Infinity Well…

…it looked as if…Crona's eyes began to glow slightly.

Kid soon found, it was no trick of a light.

As he is blasted off Crona, his scythes leaving his hands, and is bashed against the very ceiling by the sheer force of what had hit him. His body falls to the floor in a twitching mess. His limbs were failing to listen to him, he gasped and tried to regain some control of himself…yet he couldn't.

The blast…that black wave of power…came too fast for even the reaper, and even if it hadn't moved at such speed…with Crona's tight grip he couldn't have dodge it. His body paid for that. His forearms were badly burned…nearly driven down to nothing but rags that were once muscles and bones… his masked was even more broken then before…just barely covering his face…but the worst of the damage…was done to his exposed heart.

It shrunk in size, looking even more frail and gray…as it would turn to dust in any second. It could only give the faintest of beats, the only reminder Kid had that he was even still alive…as his body just wouldn't move.

He was weakened…beaten down so...easily…all because he was taken by surprise. From his fallen position, his masked face pressed against the floor, his arms and legs in…painful awkward positions…he sees his scythes on the floor…just out of reach for him, but more importantly he sees Crona as the begins to stand himself up.

"Uh…well, I can certainly claim…that will leave a mark." He coughs out as he presses his hands to his neck, pressed against each side as they continued to lightly release steam…he was damage, yet Kid could see no drop of blood. "Ragnarok, I understand you are excited but please calm yourself…we are still not done." Crona muttered to himself, before turning to look down at Kid.

A cold emotionless look was on his face.

And a feeling of panic began to race within the Reaper's soul. He tries to force his body together, forcing his parts to fix themselves. One may be able to knock Death down…but it is nearly impossible to kill them unless they are of a godly decent themselves. But healing is not an easy thing to do, not in his mangled state. He needed to prolong his time, to fully heal himself and retrieve his scythes…gain speed…and rid the world of him as he should have done years ago on that boat…

He tries to open his wings, to grant him a temporary retreat…only to be met with horror as nothing but pain was all that came. A realization came…that when he had hit the ceiling, the force had fractured them too far for him to use in other for flight…he tries to think of something else, some other means of escape…

Only for Crona to begin to walk closer.

Kid could get a better look at him. The teen had barely changed at all through the years. The only noticeable change being his clothing, an oversized coat, pants, and a lack of shoes…not to mention the four belts he wore, two of which were cut through when Kid had slashed crossed his torso.

The redden mark already gone. It looked as if his strikes had the same effect as if he were scratching him with his nails.

Crona steps closer, walking past the scythes till he was mere inches away from Kid. Crona looked to be inspecting him for a bit as he moved a hand to his chin in thought. "Interesting…I remember when I had wings myself once, I'm…positive you can recall, correct?" He spoke, mention back when they had first met…that time was so long ago…it almost amazed Kid at times how well he could remember it.

His nostalgia is quickly taking away, as he sees Crona step out of his line of sight. He tries to move his head, any part of his body to face him…but he needed more time to heal enough to do so.

Then came a feeling of something…stepping on his back. "I rather enjoyed my time flying, it was…fun in way. Being free from the ground where everything just looks…so small by comparison. It…it helped sometimes." The sounds of bones shattering and Kid's screams echoed throughout the entire Dungeons and tunnels of the ruined DWMA.

Crona steps back to admire his…'handy work'. "It's a shame you will not be able to feel something like that for a long time." He says, as he sees Kid on the floor…wailing in pain as he couldn't even move any part of him…save apparently his mouth. Crona looks down to the wings in his hand…the bones were just beginning to fall apart now. Turning to dust in Crona's hands…making the teen wipe his hands on his coat as gives a small look of disgust.

" **Jeez man, you didn't have to do him like that!** " Ragnarok calls out as Crona turns to look to Kid's back, seeing as there were two boney stumps were the wings used to be attracted too. "I may not need to…um…'do him like that'…but I consider it pay back for what he had done with me. Also, it helps to make sure he reminds in one spot." Crona tells him, before he walks in front of Kid, kneeling next to his head so the two can speak…eye to eye.

Though no words were shared between the two now. Only a cold, emotionless stare from Crona, and a fiery, hate filled one from Kid. Crona rested his hand on his propped-up knee, while his other rested on his hip…near the gun that seemed to miraculous survived not only the beating he took, but also managed to remain hidden under the coat. A fleeting thought crossed his mind about what a weapon could do to the Reaper, if it would even harm him at all. That would be a bit amusing if such a sad excuse of a weapon was actually the one to kill Death.

Crona almost wanted to try it…but not now, he had different ideas. Not that Ragnarok wasn't gonna asked. " **Um…you gonna do something now, or am I interrupting a sudden fucking staring content here…if it is one, I think your winning because he blinked like three times now…so…I don't know, maybe…you should consider something…oh what's that phrase…KILL THE BITCH?!** " He shouts, which was enough to make the teen close his eyes and give his head a tilt…as if that would help him escape the volume of Ragnarok's words.

"Not now." Crona told him, before he moves his head forward toward Kid's face…the Reaper look frighten for a moment as Crona grabbed the bottom of his chin and forcibly tilted his head so that it was completely facing him. "Do not be concern Reaper, I have no intention of killing you. Not of yet at least…I still hold some questions to ask you."

Kid struggles to take his breath, Crona being able to see a bit of his rotten mouth as he greedily sucks in the air to fill his lungs and speak. "…then seek them within the Infinity W-" He tries to spat out before Crona silences him by with a punch to the floor, just millimeters from Kid's eyes.

He pulls his hand away, allowing Kid to see him fully as he spoke. "I refused to indulge in something with such a painless and willing means of getting answers…not when I hold the beaten and true response in my hands. I wish to hear it from your bleeding tongue, to hear every painfilled moan, every bit of hesitation, every attempt to lie and justify yourself. I want to see just how truly pathetic you are." As Crona talked he tapped Kid's head, as if to truly drill his words deep within his mind.

How Kid longed for a means of attack…to fight back…but he couldn't do anything. But stare right back into Crona, hearing him speak in that…that tone of voice, look down at him with such…venom in his eyes, seeing him hold himself in such a…superior style…

Kid remembers one person, who embodiment such similar traits such as that. He spoke of such horror things, and would be so enthralled to witness a living being suffer in such a way.

"…you truly are your mother's son."

The words seemed to have some impact on Crona, but it was much of nothing. As Crona just looked off to the side for a bit…and then gave a hum and slightly nod of the head. "…maybe I am." He said in a 'matter-of-fact' tone, before leaning close to Kid as he continued to speak.

"I guess we are just always gonna live with the burden of being followed by out parent's sins." It could be the damage to his head that he got when he hit the ceiling…but Kid swore…that as Crona spoke, and reached with his hand to lightly slap Kid's cheek…Crona was giving the exact same smile Medusa gave them, when she had them all fooled as a simple nurse.

The smile was gone though, rather quickly, as Crona leans back and begins to look out the doorway of the Secret Vault room. "On my way inside this ruin of a once great academy…I had witness something truly horrendous…the souls of those who haunt this city. Thousands of what were once people who lived here…not nothing but vulgar misshapen ghost. How do you call yourself a reaper and let these souls rot with the rest of this world? I am not that customary to the ways of you, reapers…so please…enlighten me." He commands as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Though his voice was a bit monotone here was a cold look in his eyes that demand answers. Seeing that he was in no position to really fight back, Kid pushes himself to talk back to him. "There is…nothing to being reaped now." Crona pulls himself away from him slightly, raising a confused brow as he asks. "What are you talking about?"

Kid gives him a low growl, as he tightly closes his eyes. "Years ago, the lights of heavens…were completely wiped out…" His eyes then open, showing great hate within them, his voice growing louder as he spoke. "Even the fires of damnation are but mere flickers of flames now…and trust me…I would rather every living soul be trapped on this accursed rock with me, then be forced to subjected the same fate as a monster just because of the idea…that there is nowhere else to go. We will all simply wait for the end to come."

Crona stared at him in silence for a moment. Moving a hand to grab at his chin as he looks off to the side. "So that's how you should have it then?" He mutters, his voice growing more…to his usually self, though it wasn't out of symphony…rather it was just out of disbelief. "You leave an untold number of souls out there in the world to being monsters…simply because you cannot do your job?" He says, motioning his free hand out the vault in refence to the world outside.

It was those words that seem to truly trigger Kid's rage as he began to scream at Crona. "What do you know of my duty? Nothing!" Crona's eye begins to visible twitch. "The world…everything…it had…it's all gone. The natural order, the balance of everything has been…thrown completely out of line! There is no afterlife anymore…life is meaningless at this point! No heaven to inspire too…soon no hell to avoid! Everything has…been brought to its knees by war, famine, pestilence…leaving only me…as Death. Simply waiting here for 'The end'."

Crona glares down at him at that, grabbing the back of Kid's neck and picking his head up so that Crona could see more of his broken mask covered face. "You…you are not worthy of being a reaper. You would actually give up on these souls, ALL the people that followed you and your father to their deaths!" He then throws kid head back down to the floor, his cold deep tone returning to him as he stood up. "How dare you give up. Have you forgotten what your 'friends' would have done?! Even if all these years had passed, there is no doubt in my mind that they will STILL keep trying. I know that they would." Crona takes a deep breath to calm himself as he rubs at his eyes in frustration.

The reaper keeps himself still with his face pressed on the floor. "…I had seen many things since this had all started Crona." He said as he begins to push himself up, just enough to turn his head and look to Crona once more. "I had seen true horrors, that this word had made…and it had broken me, I will not shun from that fact, but in my position, no one would be able to do the same." He then moves his head back down to face directly to the floor.

The black blood teen kneels again to look closer at the fallen reaper, watching as he was starting to shake slightly. "I had…to change with this world so much. You know…Death didn't used to just be one thing, Crona. We used to be so many different things all at once in fact. A actual metaphysical concept that was once many things to many people all at the same time. We were known as tragedies, as horrors, as releases, as old friends….and as such, we were all able to take such embodiments of those concepts. The Reaper…the first of us, was an embodiment of an inevitably…he would chase his victims down through the very stars themselves if he had too…my…my father chose to become a merciful embodiment the one to be you friend."

" **Holy fuck you two are mellow dramatic.** " Ragnarok mutters out as Crona could feel the demon sword shifting within him, and give a yawn. Crona could hold himself, as he gave a small chuckle with a nod. It did seem too much talking was going on, with none of it being answers that Crona had seek. He continued to talk with Kid though. "So, which are you Kid? Are you my friend as well?" He asks with a small smile…though it falls as he sees a spark of orange lighting appear on Kid's body.

Before Crona could speak, he was easily tossed out of the vault room, his body bouncing off the ground like a rock on a pond's surface before he hits the far wall opposite to the secret vault's entrance. " **Ow…we should stop talking shit to the speed reaper over here.** " Crona ignores him, focusing around himself as he stood back up. He messed up, he knows it…allowing the reaper to heal and buy himself time.

He sees as the blur moves from within the secret room down the tunnel to his left, and Crona notices that it had picked up the scythes that were on the floor earlier. "…err, dang it." Crona mumbles as he holds his hands up for any incoming attacks as he inched his way closer to the tunnel, shifting his view as much he could around him…not trusting the maze like as the reaper could come from behind him. He flinches slightly as the blur rushes passed him to the other tunnel, tensing his body as he felt a burning ghost of a slice nearly touch his face.

He looks passed him down to the other tunnel opposite of him…as Kid was standing there now.

" **What are you waiting for!? Laser his boney ass again!** " Ragnarok shouts at him, as he sees Kid had stopped moving. Crona didn't like it…this seemed too simple.

He could barely see him due to how there was little to no light there…save from what came from the well. The orange lighting that kept sparking off him did help but not by much.

"I need to be cautious, I only manage to catch him by surprise the last time. I still lack much control over that ability of mine, if I fire and he is able to dodge or worst I put too much power in it then I can risk this entire place collapsing down on us…and he could get away." Crona mumbles as he reaches a hand down to his hip, seeming that now was as good of a time to use his weapon, if for anything to catch Kid off guard again. " **Don't you mean that…we could die?** " Ragnarok asked nervous, not liking the possibly of the place falling on them like that…

…They still had no real idea how durable Crona really was.

With a glare, Crona mutters to him a low 'We won't', before he rushes before he turns around and rushes back deeper into the tunnel he was already closed to. Keeping himself hunched over with one arm lowered.

His thoughts were that here…he could have a bit of the advantage of knowing at least Kid could only travel in two directions...feeling a burning pain sneer into his back, Crona knew where he was. "Ah!" He gasps out as he stumbles and loses his footing, falling to the floor on his stomach. The reaper's voice, regaining its deep and powerful tone. "You actually thought you could out run me? I thought you were smarter than that." Kid spat out as he held his scythe up…not noticing as Crona had his right hand moved to inward to grab at a certain object and angle it…so the tip was slightly upward.

A loud echo of a shotgun is heard as large burst of pellets, rocks and other things that was used to make its ammunition blast out of Crona's the side-back of Crona's large coat. "I'm am." Crona mumbles, not even looking to see if he had hit kid before trying to distance himself from the reaper as best he can…he managed to quickly run a few steps before looking backward…and seeing that Kid didn't even look faze by the shot.

If anything, he just looked annoyed…as he was glaring right at the freshly made hole that was on the wall to his left. "I should have seen that coming." Crona groans out before he rushes deeper into the tunnel as fast as he could. A certain demon sword yelling at him as he does. " **What happened back there!? I thought you shot the gun!** " Crona gives another groan as he shouts back. "I did!"

" **Then why he not be headless!?** " Ragnarok shouts, somehow louder than before. "I missed, okay!" He quickly sees that a fork in the path was up ahead, and quickly makes a choice to head right. " **…HOW!? He was three feet away from you!** " Crona's face gets a bit gray at this as the familiar feeling of embarrassment came. "…I wasn't looking and it was an awkward angle." He then sees another path and makes a turn without thinking. " **You stupid f-** "

Before Ragnarok could finish the insult, Crona was knocked onto his back a pair of scythes blades trying to pierce through his bare chest causing Crona to scream in pain again. "You had completely devastated my wings...it will take me days for those to heal." Kid angrily tells him as he tries to force the scythes in further on Crona's skin. "I may not be able to kill you easily, but I can cripple you." Kid then quickly pulls the scythe back and tries to slash them into Crona's eyes.

It happened quickly, and it was barely any light within the tunnel itself. All there was being that he could see the scythes closing into his face, and the orange lighting that was emitting from Kid's body…Crona was scared, so much in fact he didn't know that the poorly held together shotgun…was in his hand since he had started running, that was till his finger pulled the trigger.

However, it…seemed Crona was right about a certain thing about the quality of the weapon.

As it literally exploded right in both Crona's and Kid's faces. Kid was reeling back, screaming as he covered his face. Though it had stung Crona too, it seemed he had a higher pain tolerance…was too afraid to care about it as he quickly picked himself up and ran opposite of where he came from.

" **Please don't tell me that the gun blew up.** " Ragnarok spoke in a worried tone, with Crona not having to look at the weapon to know what happen to it…considering that it literally lost about all weight it had. "…okay, the gun didn't blow u-" He tries to say with Ragnarok shouting back a loud ' **LIAR!** '. "But you said-" Crona tries to defend himself but Ragnarok was still quicker to respond. " **I thought you would have learned by now Crona, NEVER try to correct me! I'll deny it till the end of time!** "

Although this had not seemed like the best of time to be doing something like this…this was an idea of how to calm themselves during a stressful problem. Crona was following the blue light of the well, taking the same turns as he had before…all the while he was trying his hardest to think up a way for him to defeat the reaper…that was when he noticed something…as he was running closer to where he had shot his gun and missed…he saw the spot he shot out…with another exact looking hole opposite of it on the other side of the tunnel further ahead.

As he runs passed it towards the other tunnel, Ragnarok shifts within Crona…like he was slapping his hand against his forehead. " **Do not tell me it has been over two thousand years, and this son of a bitch STILL has that stupid OCD!** " Crona grins as he enters the tunnel and slams his into the side of the tunnel wall as he continues running…leaving a fist size hole behind him…followed by another and another.

Kid rushed out of the tunnel on his side, his masked completely removed…showing his completely 'zombified' face, twisted into a snarl full of rage. "Crona…there is no point to run or hide, I will find you sooner than later!" He looks to the vault, but finds no sign of him. He then turns to the other tunnel and rushes to it…only to pause as he sees a fist-size hole on the side of the wall.

With an irritated growl, Kid feels the old compulsion within him that he had since…so long ago. He throws a quick glance further down the tunnel, and sees another hole…and another…and another, each one in a zip-zag pattern on either side of the wall. Kid tries to hold himself to push the annoying compulsive disorder off to the side long enough for him to settle matters.

But seeing it all right in front of him, in the halls that took him years to perfect…Kid gives a yell as he slams his fist opposite of where Crona had made his hole. The brick did creak…but not as much. Though strong, it seemed he wasn't at Crona's level in that department…but he did make up for it with one other thing.

Using his speed to his advantage, Kid rapidly punches at the wall, succeeding in breaking a hole and forming it to make sure it had looked exactly as Crona had made his own. He did this with the other hole, and the other, seemingly making his way down the tunnel…just in a different way slightly slower way.

He stops though as he had come upon a small open pathway, it wasn't that large…just enough to fit a single person in the middle, with two ways silting off to the sides diagonally. In-between each of these paths, and his own, were bust of his father on pedestals…though the one on the left side was broken as its masked head was broken clean off and shattered on the floor.

Kids hands tighten around his scythes, feeling the ultimate insult of this. Not only to himself but too his father of all people. Seething with rage now, the lighting was sparking from Kids body more than ever as well as his scythes were glowing even more now. The light was very much appreciated as he was quite far from the well now and the tunnels had no light. It was thanks to this new source of light though, that Kid had manage to see something he missed...

…behind the bust in front of him…he could see Crona's jacket as it was trying to hide behind the statue. Kid throws his arms back, ready to cut down the shaped rock…but paused mid-swing.

This was too obvious to him. Crona having gone through the trouble of punching the many holes in the walls wouldn't go to waste over just something like this. He was a lot of things but Kid very much doubt that the two thousand years of time had harm Crona's planning ability. With what had happened earlier with those…'beams of light'…Kid knew that full well.

He turns to look at the bust to his right. It would be the perfect spot to ambush him, if he were to attack the statue in front of him. His back would be turn and Crona could fire at him with those 'beams' again. "A capable plan…but not good enough!" Kid shouts as he slashes the bust to his right apart completely with one massive swing from his scythes…yet, aside from the stone…nothing else was there.

His eyes fully widen in panic, Kid rises his weapons up again and uses his speed to quickly crave apart the statue in front of him…only seeing the tatters of Crona's large jacket fall to the ground. "What!?" He shouts, before turning to the bust that was missing its head and cutting it down.

…nothing.

His eye began to twitch, as he pulls his face away…trying to make sense of what had happened. If Crona had…just 'played him' so he could continue making his escape. He pulls his head back as he was about to scream at the ceiling in frustration…just in time to see as Crona drops his hold from the ceiling and knees him right in his face.

Kid staggers back, dropping his scythes as the sudden hit caught him by surprise with such a hard impact. If he had a nose it would definitely be broken. But it seemed that was not the end, as Crona perfectly landed on his feet and continued his assault on the Reaper.

This wasteland of a world filled with unimaginable terrors had taught Crona one thing, he needed to get good without a weapon. And although he would never be one to gloat about it…he found he was rather good at hitting things with his hands.

It helped that Ragnarok was 'coaching' him.

With an uppercut to Kid's with his left arm, followed by another with his right Ragnarok began to shout at him. " **Right to chin, left to chest side, fore-arm to throat, left to stomach blow!** " Crona did exactly as he said, throwing a right fist to Kid's chin, followed by a jab to the left side of the ribs, then followed by Crona slamming his fore-arm to Kid's throat and a hard punch to his stomach making the reaper to double over from the intense hit.

" **Did I say stop!?** " Crona knees Kid's chin again, making his head arch back a bit upward, so that Crona could punch him easier. Another hard jab with his left creaks against Kid's head, followed by another heavy blow with his right. " **Put some weight behind it!** " Crona hops back a bit and leaps forward with charging fist right to Kid's jaw with all his weight behind it.

Landing on one foot, the swordsman training Medusa had put him through ran through his head about keeping balance at almost all cost. But he also saw an opening. Having struke him with his left, Crona's right hand shot up and grabbed him by the collar of his tattered robes and spun him around, throwing him up against a wall. " **That's the way, confused the bitch!** " Ragnarok cheered on as Crona began to violently slam his fist into Kid's face repeatedly, with the eighth hitting knocking him to his and knees.

" **Make him kiss the ceiling!** " Crona kicks upside Kid's head just as he looked to regain some sense, and grabs him by his shoulders. With his massively enhanced strength, Crona easily tosses Kid up to the ceiling like of bag of trash. It creaks slightly from the force of his body hitting it and falls right back to the ground…right into Crona as he lands one final punch that sends Kid spiraling to the floor. " **Ding-ding-ding! Ahhhh, the crowd goes wild! Winner by knock out, CROOOOOONA!** "

Ragnarok cheering was ignored as Crona gives a small gasp, just now realizing how out of breath right now. He rested his hands on his knees and tries to compose himself as sweat was rolling down his face. It was not an easy task to hold himself up on the ceiling like so. And for him not to panic as Kid slashed up at the statues like a mad man.

Crona picks up a rag that used to be part of his coat and uses it as a towel to dry his face. "How fitting that you be the one to destroy your father's image." Crona mumbles out as he looks to the remains of the busts that Kid ruined. He then walks to the reaper, kneeling to his level on the floor.

His jaw was broken, and the haloes on his head had become completely dim…shocking Crona that they would still be on him. He expected him to be like before, broken and muttering small spats of hate at him…yet the reaper seemed knocked out. "I supposed I finally manage to make him hit his limit…thankfully." Crona breathes out a sigh of relief and sits down on the floor.

His body ached like never before. Though he had really learned to take a beating, it was still a beating.

No doubt he was gonna deal with many sore spots the next time he goes to sleep, something he was not looking forward too. With a heavy breath, Crona pulls his legs up…and begins to hold him.

Thoughts came to him on…what should he do now? What could he do now? He has journey through snow, rain, and desert for a chance of answers to his question. But the one question that mattered most to him had just been answered…what can he possible do now in this world? It was not like there was way to fix th-

…Crona's thoughts stop…as a faint green glow begin to come from Kid's open chest.

Right in the center of his heart.

The Soul Gem.

Crona remembers back to what Kid had told him of it. How powerful he said it was…such thoughts of a thing could make a person wonder. To control the many souls…maybe one could bring a certain one back to the user.

The faint feeling of hope came, pushing his exhaustion away, as he leans forward to the reaper's chest. The thought of having such a power…to manipulate the very fabric of a person's soul, sent shivers up Crona's spine…to have the ability to see 'her' once more.

But just as he neared touching the reapers heart…a large flash shined at his face, blinding him and forcing him to cover his face for a moment with his other hand. As the bright light faded…suddenly Crona was pressed up against a wall, a cold grip on his throat. "Err…gha…na." Kid's gurgled voice spoke as his jaw hung awkwardly, not allowing him the ability to speak normally. The gem within his heart was glowing so brightly now that it could be seen through the muscle tissue.

Crona tries to shove him away, pushing against his exposed ribs with one hand while trying to pull the hand from his throat. But something was wrong…he was feeling…weaker. It wasn't from exhaustion…it was as if…he was being drained.

The black blood teen could see as Kid's creak bones, and slightly burned skin…was starting to heal. With a loud 'pop' his jaw places itself back into place, allowing him to speak. "I had no desire to do this to you Crona. Soul Gem…allows me to take complete control of a person's soul and life…including stealing it for myself." Kid told him, his voice sounding weaker…more like it's old self. The green glow of his gem growing brighter as Crona could feel…more of himself draining away, his mind becoming numb and losing feeling of his body.

Though a familiar sense began to build in him, rushing to his eyes once more as he grits his teeth…though just as it began to build up, Kid suddenly throws his free hand forward to under Crona's chin, forcing him to look up at the ceiling and hold him in that position.

"You are not going to surprise me again with something like that." Kid told him as he struggles to keep his hold as Crona tries to move out of it. " **This is bad, this is bad this is fucking bad!** " Ragnarok screams as he too could feel the effects the gem had on him. The demon sword trying to move around within Crona trying to think up a thing to do…even if Crona were to fire the beam at the ceiling it would only cause everything to fall on them, it probably wouldn't even do much with Kid and his speed.

Panic began to flair within Crona as he tries harder to push the reaper from him, the feeling…was starting to fade as well.

Crona couldn't think on such manners as he continues to struggle, throwing his body as best he could and kicking out his legs. He tries to reach for Kid's heart…that if he were to just rip the old thing out and be done with the reaper…but it just out of reach, and with the gem drain…it was starting to get hard to even move his arms. Ragnarok's voice begins to grow faint within his head, his shouting growing faint. " **Shit…n-not like this, not like…not…ah…** " As Ragnarok spoke as he trying to come up with some idea, he could feel as Crona was starting to lose consciousness…his body nearly stopping all movement as his arms drop down and hang at his sides.

He just wanted…he needed to get Kid away from him. To just push him away so he could think. "I am sorry Crona…Soon you will lose everything you are, and will become trapped within the Soul Gem. This seems to be the only way I can put an end to you. Forgive me." Kid told him as the gem brightens itself again, feeling the whole tunnel with its glow now.

Crona could just barely make out the look Kid was giving him from the very bottom of his eyes. It was a look of pity. A kind of look that just was of…shame at himself. "You…disgust me…" Crona mumbles out, catching Kid's attention easily. "You are literally kill me, holding the fate of my very soul in my hands…and you have the gale to feel bad for me?!" He could feel Kid push his chin further up, till all he could see was the ceiling.

"Just be quiet Cron-" He pauses though…as he looks down…he hadn't even realized that he had moved closer to Crona, because now…Crona's arm had moved up…was placed right on top of his heart. Another flash came blasting the two in a light so bright it was like they were standing on the surface of the sun…but when the light dim…all that happened was that Crona was on the floor…Kid having let go of him as he backed away from the teen.

He placed his hand on the heart worried for a moment, reaching into the folds of the organ to feel the gem itself. "…I am not sure what you had just done, but I see now that it was for nothing." Kid muttered with a small smile of relief, before he turns back to look to Crona…

Though Crona…was different. For one he was standing up… and two, he was…completely black like a silhouette version of the teen. Kid froze up upon seeing the thing…and notices as the real Crona…was behind it. " **Oh, I don't know. I think it was for something.** " A very familiar voice spoke and it was a realization for Kid as he took in the features the silhouette did have…white gloves with black lines going down the fingers, two gray wrist straps on each arm with little spikes on them, similar to the one he had on the right side of his body that was to his shoulder and under his arm, but out of all of those….the one to stand out the most was the large white 'X' on his face.

"Ra-" Kid only barely manages to say before a fist slams into his face and knocks him to the floor. " **In the blood bitch!** " Ragnarok shouts as gives out a loud laugh. " **Hahahahaha! Oh man, it's been literally forever since I had legs! You know what this means you Reaper bitch!?"** He happily shouts as grinds his feet to the floor. " **I get to finally kick your skinny zombie ass!** " The demon sword launches himself forward just as Kid was picking himself up.

From on the floor, Crona was just regaining his sight…them having gone dark just moments ago…just in time for him to see as a…'Ragnarok' version of himself had just kicked Kid in the face. "Am I dreaming…or is this weird nightmare?" Crona said as he pushes himself to his feet, or at least tries too. His body was very weak now, he doubts he could really put up much of a fight.

" **Legs, actual legs! HAHAHA, oh man…I am so doing the Cossack dance after this!** " Not that it seemed he was needed at that moment seeing as Ragnarok was attacking Kid, mercilessly at that as he was grabbing the reaper by his shoulders and knee him in the face repeatedly.

Though just as it seemed he had the upper hand, the orange lighting had return around Kid and in a blur of motion he was gone from sight. " **Oh, damn it! Just when I was really overdue to knock someone's teeth out.** " Ragnarok groans, before he turns back to Crona. " **Hey Dipshit.** **Man…it's been so long since we've actually seen each other…you look like shit.** "

As he spoke he walked to Crona and helped the teen to his feet. "How is it possible?" Crona mumbled out, very confused as he sees Ragnarok was not only out in his own body…but also looked a bit like him. The demon sword just shrugged his shoulders. " **Hell if I know, just one moment ago I stuck inside you, not even able to use my lovely voice…and then BOOM. I just felt such…a rush, and I was just able to slide out. Guess I just needed a good pick me up.** " He then began to flex and pose a bit. " **Oh man it is good to be out again…I feel so loose. Like a river in…something I fucking know how to explain it.** "

Crona gives him a blank stare for a moment, until he just thinks back to a moment ago. "The Soul Gem…it must have empowered you somehow." Ragnarok gives a scoff as he starts to hop on his feet. " **Well then, what are we to do? Just stand here and do nothing? We got a Reapers to figh-** " Before he could finish though suddenly his legs were completely sliced off. " **OH, COME ON!** " Ragnarok shouts before falling to a floor…and turning into a large black puddle on the floor.

"Ah, Ragnarok!" Crona cries out with concern before he feels a blow right to the side of his head and he is knocked to the floor again. Kid quickly stood over him, entrapping Crona on the spot before he could pull himself away.

The reaper seemed…different though. While his heart continued to faintly glow with the green light of the gem, his body looked to be almost transparent now. Like he was close to disappearing on the spot. "You…" He calls out, his voice speaking with an echo behind it, as he raises a hand up to his heart and nearly loses his balance for a bit.

Though tired and drained of what energy he mainly had left, Crona saw a chance and took it. He grabs the ankles of Kid's feet and pulled, knocking him to his back. The teen then rushes to Ragnarok shouting if the demon sword was okay…all that manage to come from him though was a gurgle scream, with Crona just barely able to make out something about not being able to form this time.

Crona gives a growl…before suddenly he feels a hard kick on his stomach and collapse on the floor, gasping for breath. "You did this." Kid said before he picks Crona up again, and tosses further down the tunnel, away from the puddle of the demon sword…who was gurgling profanities out as loud as he could.

Crona forces himself to look up to the reaper, watching as he seemed to examine himself, his body continuing to slightly fade in and out sight. "I've had to limit myself so much on the Soul Gem's power…but you…somehow triggered an overload." Suddenly he has a scythe in his hand, his lighting seeping into it…the whole weapon was crackling with orange light, with steaming pouring out of it. "Such power…is…intoxicating. It had been so long since last I used it so…" He begins to mumble.

With a growl…Crona was showing a very tired and annoyed face. He was done with their fighting, and done with these trivial back and fourths. He tries to push himself forward and punch at the reaper…

…only to have Kid's hand enter his chest.

A shocked gasp escapes Crona's lips…as he feels the reapers hand was pass his skin, his muscles, his ribs, even his own heart. It was resting on his very soul now.

Crona's scream could be heard through the tunnel…echoing across every corner, such a tone of horror it was, unfit for any mortal hears to hear.

Such a sound was only fitting to Death itself.

Or at least it would have, if Kid was able to savoir any feeling at all…instead…he found himself on the floor, leaning against the wall…most of his torso missing…as the space was taken up large hole. His blood…gray with age, was all over the floor…spewing from him like a river…what remind of his lungs made it impossible for him to breathe…all he could manage to get out was a simple whimper as a cold feeling enter his being.

Crona opposite of him, looking to be embedded into the wall bed his body, completely stiff as he looked on in front of him in sheer horror…his left-hand was held up and shaking…as small bit of steam rose from his palm.

It was…the same kind of blast as before, that had hit his mask and upper body. Though instead of his eyes it came from his hand this time. "H-how…how…" Crona mumbles out as he begins to rub his right hand over the palm, feeling that while it was a bit warm…it was fine for the most part.

The teen then looks back to Kid…or rather to behind the reaper…at the large mess of blackness that covered a huge part of the tunnel wall…all the bricks having been burnt into a pure black color. What he had just fired had burned right through the reaper and to the wall behind him.

Like before it had come too quickly for him to dodge…but this time it was stronger. Kid didn't even know if it was what Crona had meant to do. The once swordsman just looked frighten by what he had just done. Like the gravity of it all had just taken him.

He tries to speak, to say something to him… only for his attention to be taken away as a certain puddle of blood was letting out a frustrated scream.

"Ragnarok!" He calls out in a worried tone as he pushes himself up and limps to where his partner was on the floor. "Can you move?" He asks as he kneels to him and offers a hand, hoping to see if the demon could return to his body. Though the puddle had made movement, a small bit of itself raising up, only for it to just slaps back down on itself.

As Crona seemed busy with Ragnarok, Kid's eyes trail down…seeing the Soul Gem on the very floor right in front of him. Kid tries to move, and get himself back to it…his only chance to survive.

The only movement he could muster was his body falling face first on the floor in an awkward position, like a puppet with the strings cut. He was forced to grovel…but the gem was right there in front of him. He could reach it and-…but no…his body just…fails on him.

He was not dead…after all he was death itself…but there was no way he could heal at the rate he normally would after taking such a wound. It he had a son of his own, someone to take his place he would be dead on the spot…but no, he hadn't done such a thing. With the world coming to a complete end, Kid had seen no point.

It was the one of those classic moments like this he could not help but reflect on one's life. He wonders if he had a child…would he have been like his father more? Someone wiser, and better able to defend the world? It was unfortunately he was not near the Infinity Well to show him such answers.

He looks from the corner of his eyes as he sees Crona trying to help Ragnarok, speaking to the puddle as he grabs at it and tries to pick it up…only for the liquid to fall from his hands. The boy seemed franticly panic as the demon puddle continued yelling at him. He could hear Crona trying to come up with some plan about getting a bottle or a bucket to hold his friend in…seeing Crona act like this…his old self…instead in those moments of brute strength and sliver tongue.

The feeling of nostalgia came again…along with a tear in Kid's eye.

So much has changed…so much horrors have been done. He was no saint…as he himself had done awful things in the wake of this world. All the Reaper could do was silently weep now.

Crona hears the faint sound of Kid sob, and turns to face him.

He looked pathetic. His body folded over like that of a drunken fool, his wretched face pressed firmly against the floor, his blood being all spilled out all around him in a mess…even the three halos around his head have turn dull in color and had fallen back to within his hair. Tears were in his eyes.

With a scoff, Crona almost turned back to Ragnarok…but stops as he sees the Soul Gem on the floor so close to Kid. "Wait…the gem!" He calls out as he stands back up to his feet, a bit too quickly as he pauses to let out a small whine…his body aching from the fight and the massive drain still after all. But Crona wouldn't let that stop him.

With a tiny smile he turns back to look to his partner. "Ragnarok…it was when I touched the gem you manage to get out. Maybe I just need to hold it for you to get to normal!" Kid's eyes snap open as he hears this. He could see as Crona limps his way.

"No…stop." He meekly speaks, his voice barely even audible. "Stop…Crona please." He raises is further as Crona stops near him and kneels to the gem. "Don't do it." With his hand raised slightly he goes to pick the gem up. "I AM BEG-uka!" Kid pushes himself to scream…but ends up coughing mess.

Crona did listen to him though, his fingers just nearing to touch the gem. He doesn't even look to Kid. "…you ignore your responsibility to the souls outside these walls …you failed to keep Maka safe…you given up on the world and had tried to kill me for no real reason…just on the premise of some misconception." He presses his fingers down on the floor, all around the gem…it being so easy for him to just pick it up now.

Yet he wanted to know just what Kid was gonna do. "Why should I listen to you?" He asks and Kid begins to push himself, the sound of small honks of breaths is heard and view of seeing such grotesque skin and muscle moving was a displeasing show for Crona…but as Kid finally manage to make himself face him…the Reaper started to beg. "P-please…do not touch the gem…you don't understand anything of it."

"I'm pretty sure you told me enough of what I need to know." Though Crona's words weren't with that cold tone as before, it still seems to hold its own level of harshness. "Crona...the Soul Gem is not meant for anyone to use…such power…it was not meant for any mortal to wield, let alone even hold…only beings of such amazing strength can dream of such a feat. Not…even I am truly worthy of such…power…how did you think I ended up like I am…"

This time…Crona looked to him, a small side glance. It seemed to be of a bit of concern for a bit as he looks at the Kid…before his eyes turn back to the gem on the floor. Thoughts ran through his head, as Crona remembers what Kid had told him about the gem's power to manipulate the very fabric of a person's soul. It made him think…if he could be able to bring a certain soul to him…because as horrible as things could go only one conclusion mattered.

She was all that mattered.

With a small smile on his face, one the causes a flame of fear to echo through Kid's soul. "…last time I checked…I was pretty strong. Let's see how much." The Reaper didn't even have the breath to scream…before Crona swipes the gem up in his hand…

…outside the old academy, were the souls of Death City. Mangled through the many years of outside horrors and time, these souls hadn't experience such fear in a long time after the black pillars had shot out of the school and barrel through several many ruins of buildings…they would have no idea that in that same day…they would be forced to experience such an emotion…twice in the span of a single day.

The Academy was a place thought by many that it was untouchable, even with the approach of the new arrival they had not though much of him…that was still something came. A plush was felt.

Like as a heart had its first beat. Such a feeling was unbelievable for the spirits…it had caused to them all to pauses in thought as they all look to the old school…the dead weren't the only ones. Many miles away living beings paused too…all looking to the direction such a plush came from. Millions of miles away from even the planet's surface felt it to even other unknown parts of the universe…beings that knew next to nothing of what it could possibly be all had felt it.

Only a handful of individuals could ever have even a hint to what it was.

A man in the village of his people, placed a hand on the glowing red gem embedded to his forehead.

A woman in a field of flowers held her children, as the orange gem in her necklace began to glow.

A being in who rules a fiery pocket dimension, looked away at from the glow his yellow gem gave.

A king…and prince, both stare at their own gems, the kings look fearfully from his three eyes at his shiny blue gem, while his child look to the beaming purple one with eyes of hope.

Back at the ruins of the city such a feeling could only be felt for a moment…before the entire academy exploded from the inside, a massive storm was form from in its' place. It was unlike anything before seen by the souls of the city as they could be still in watched on.

The storm was living, breathing with inner explosions of unnatural greenish light. The souls all watched on in awe at the amazing colorful display. Though the storm's power was devastating, so much so that even without the senses of that their living bodies each and every soul within the city could still feel the might of infinity itself right in front of them….and they felt drawn to it.

All they had felt was cold…the storm provided warmth.

All they have felt was hunger…the storm appeased their hunger.

All of them were scared…the storm gave comfort.

The first emotion that the souls had felt in years, was fear but now another feeling had been born again.

Belonging.

With no hesitation to be had, the souls began to move. Their distorted beings traversed through the terrain of their broken home, each of them…one by one, all let their bodies enter the storm…becoming one within it. Becoming part of the growing storm.

Becoming part of Infinity.

* * *

" **Oh…my…fucking head.** " Ragnarok moans as he sits up from the ground, placing a hand to his head as he could feel his non-existent brain was like Jell-O right now. Though technically one could guess it was. A thought he didn't want to think about right now as he regains his sight…

…and sees where he was.

" **Holy shit, oh my god! What happened!?** " He shoots up to his feet, as he looks around him…seeing the massive amount of ruins all around. The entire tunnels…the dungeon…the Death Weapon Meister Academy was completely and utterly wrecked like an atom bomb went off from within.

There parts that stone that melted, large amount of dust and ash all over the ground, he could still see as if parts of the bricks and cement on the floor had these strange greenish creaks along them that ominously glowed like they were radioactive.

He could even see that the destruction had stretch so far out into the rest of the city…if it had seemed like it was demolished before, now it was simply…dilapidated into nothingness. Ragnarok felt like he had to pull a word out of retirement just to express how bad it was. There was no evidence of a city ever being around them, save for like several small bits of bricks that miraculously seem to have found their way above the sand.

Ragnarok takes a deep breath, wincing a bit at the awful smell as everything reeked of old age and sulfur, he was trying to piece together what had happen. The only thing he could recall was how Kid had taken his legs from him and how he fell to the floor and splashed into a puddle, not his proudest moment.

From then on, it was like he a turtle that was stuck on its back, not able to do anything but give little bits of movement. He couldn't even see what was happening due to how he couldn't form his own eyes and all sounded was muffled about like when someone was in water.

He didn't even remember being knocked out or anything, and at this point he seriously cannot help but feel he had some case of 'world screwing over' Narcolepsy seeing as every time he falls asleep, something seems to happen that effects himself and Cron-…

" **Crona!** " He shouts out in realization as he begins to move aside some large rocks around him, frighten at the thought of what might have happened with Crona as he stood alone against the reaper earlier. " **Oh shit, no…no!** **Crona, please be alive!** " The creature of black blood didn't even question as he is easily able to lift the large pieces of stones and toss them off like they were made of paper. " **Say something man, I'll dig you out! Conserve your breath and try not to move!** " But as he moves from an empty pile to rush into another large pile of stuff…he sees a familiar person with bright pink hair as they were standing in front of hole that glowed a 'strange' blue light.

Without a word, Ragnarok rushes over as fast as he could to the teen while screaming out to him. " **Crona, oh man thank god you're alive.** **What happened?!** " He asked, nearly tackling the teen down if he hadn't managed to stop himself.

Crona continued to stare down the well with little to no emotion on his face, and himself in his usual pose with his left hand gripping his right arm. "What do you mean 'what happened'?" He asks back.

One of the upper corners of Ragnarok's 'X' face tilted up slightly as he gestures behind him to the wreckage behind him. " **D-Don't even act like…what you don't seem to notice that suddenly the academy had a very nice sky-light?!** " He tells him while watching as Crona just gives him a shrug and reply. "I'm not following."

He then turns to look to Ragnarok as he gives a small look of worry. "…Ragnarok, do you require more rest?"

If he really had a jaw, it would no doubt be dropped right now. " **…rest? I was asleep, you knew I was asleep?! OF FUCKING COURSE, I WAS! THIS SHIT SEEMS TO KEEP FUCKING HAPPEN EVERYTIME I SHUT MY EYES APPARENLY, NEXT THING I KNOW AN ENTIRE FUCKING BUILDING THE SIZE OF GOD'S DICK IS GONE!** " Ragnarok shouts as loudly as possible for him, making Crona give a small wince as he leans away from the demon sword.

"Why must you always use such profanity and volume, I am right here and I assure you I have good hearing." Crona replies, causing Ragnarok take a long deep breath to try to calm himself down. "Do you even have lungs?" Crona ask…causing Ragnarok to pinch the middle of his 'X' as he takes an even deeper breath.

" **Crona…what happened…to the tunnel, of the academy that we were trapped within…with reaper version of Speedy Gonzales.** " He says, quietly but full of irritation. Crona gives a small 'oh' at that as he looks back into the well and replied. "Well it had been destroyed."

Ragnarok had to seriously fight the urge to tackle him on purpose now and beat him into he was black on the outside as well. " **…NOO! You don't say? I didn't notice.** "

Crona gives a small sigh, as gives another shrug. "Your sarcasm is always a joy to hear." Ragnarok walks up to Crona's face and looks ready to punch the teen's head off. " **Good to hear numb-nuts! Now, please enlighten me by telling me…What the fuck happened and what are you looking at!?** " He gestures a hand to the Infinity Well.

At first Crona looked confused by the question, but then gives a small groan as he realizes why. "Oh right, your mind seems to have had a…problem after we went through the nexus of realit-" He was stopped as Ragnarok back away and screamed. " **The what now? I'm sorry, did we step into a freaking D &D board without me knowing?**" He then turns around and kicks off a rock out of frustration, not even paying attention as it flies off into the horizon as he was too busy being mad at the moment.

With a roll of his eyes, Crona turns back to look at him as he said. "This is the Infinity Well, and with it I can gaze in and get answers to any questions in the universe…save for some concerning a certain…thing." He mutters at the end in a slightly unsure tone.

" **Well how does that clear up a lot.** " Ragnarok replies as he walks off to one of the large pieces of stone and begins to drag it close to them.

"Please just stop talking so I can explain in full." Crona calls out as Ragnarok just hopes on top of the stone and gestures his arms out, as if to silently say 'please, go on'…which Crona knew was just a nice way to put Ragnarok's true meaning.

With a slight bit of reluctance, Crona reveals the what he was holding in his right hand…the infinity gem.

" **Holy shit, is that the gem Kid had in his heart-** " Ragnarok shouts, nearly falling off the stone in shock but managing to catch himself. Crona begins to explain. "Yeah…the Soul Gem. After I grabbed it…something just…exploded from it and me. Something I couldn't even describe. It was like…being within a tornado. It must have been what made you cause you to black-out earlier." Ragnarok begins to slowly look at the destruction around them.

" **So, wait…if you are holding that, then…where is that asshole?** " Crona just looks bac to the well, a sad look on his face. "In there…or at least was…now he's just gone." A scoff comes from Ragnarok as he leans his head in his hand. " **…you threw him in the well? Damn…pulled a reverse Lassie on his ass.** "

"I don't want to talk about it." Crona says, as he tightens his grip on his right arm. Although it was small thing to notice from his point of view, his tone of voice was enough to tell Ragnarok that something bad happened.

For a moment, Crona just stayed silent. Bringing the infinity gem closer to his face so that he could stare into it. "…he said I was not human anymore, not anymore a Kishin now."

Ragnarok gives a small 'huh' sound in response, with Crona giving a sigh. "He told me, right before I grabbed the Soul Gem, that it was is not meant for any mortal to even hold. That…only beings of amazing strength can dream of such a feat. It's what caused him to look so…" Crona pauses for a second as he tries to think of a proper word to describe the reaper.

" **To look like Skeletor's deformed cousin?** " Ragnarok offer, with Crona taking it. "…yes, I think…" he mumbles just going along with whatever Ragnarok was referencing at this point. "Yet...when we saw afterwards how I just looked so…the same, Kid started to…well, as you would say um…'f-freak out' on me." Crona begins to rub at both his arms now, as he gives a small shiver. "He said this world had changed me…and he was right. I look in the Infinity Well and it had showed me just what happened."

He turns to Ragnarok again, showing the scared look, he had. "I mean… it was a lot of things. Like radiation, demonic magic, other stuff…it was just so much that I just…" He gives a shake of his head at the disbelief at this kind of stuff. "There was also how we escape too…it was an infinity gem that crashed through the moon and free us…and amazingly its power affected us too."

" **Fuck's sake, man.** " Ragnarok calls out as lays his hands flat on the stone. " **Hey man…fuck it, at least you didn't up grow three arms or something…I mean shit maybe that's because the black blood doesn't let us get sick but…** " He gives a small puff of breath as he looks off to the side.

He almost wanted to thank Medusa now more than ever for the shit she did to them. Who would have known it would make such a good effect on them?

Crona gives a small nod as he looks back to the well, bending down so he could look closer into it. "…He called me a titan. A being that could rival gods, in terms of just raw power." He could see as the within it the lights were moving and shifting around so beautifully. "Then he…tried to take the gem from me and…" Crona places a hand on his face and sighs. "We need to find the other five gems."

"… **wait, why?** " Ragnarok steps off the stone and walks up to Crona in confusion…only for the teen to come up to his face and nearly shout. "The infinity gem of the soul is pretty much just an exotic peddle to us! I thought I could…I thought I could bring her back with it." He almost instantly calms down…and is sadden.

" **oh.** " Ragnarok mumbles out as gives an awkward cough, not really expecting Crona's outburst like that. And he could see as this…was really upsetting Crona right now and he could tell why. He remembers to what Kid had said earlier about the him not doing his job, if Maka was reaped then…she really was…

Crona gives a small sniff as he could feel tears already build up. He quickly wipes his eyes to stop them before they could form. "…she's gone, so we need to find the other gems to bring her back."

Ragnarok looked as he was ready to protest this idea…but stops himself as he thinks it be better to just go along with it. " **And these other gems are?** " He asks, watching as Crona manage to stable himself as he tells him. "The other gems are of Time, Space, Reality, Power, and Mind. Each one granting limitless power that the wielder." Crona then began to go on about all the gems, a bit too fast for Ragnarok to follow. "With the Time Gem we could go back in time and change everything. With the Space Gem we could be anywhere we need to be, the Reality Gem itself could alter the very fabric of-"

The feeling of hands clamping on his shoulders stops Crona for a moment. " **Whoa...whoa…chill the fuck out…** " Ragnarok tells him as gives him a small shake, making Crona mumble out a small 'S-sorry'. When Ragnarok takes his hands from Crona's shoulders, he places on the his 'X' as he tries to think. " **Okay so um…these gems are the kind of things allowed Kid to do that speed stuff?** "

Crona begins to fumble for a bit as feet as he looks down to the floor. "Well in reality it was just charging his own ability but the gem empowered it-" Ragnarok fist smacks down right on his head, causing the teen to nearly fall over.

" **How about fuck off!** " Ragnarok shouts in anger. Crona looks up to him gripping his head, more shocked from the hit than from it hurting him, as he asks. "W-what?"

" **Crona, we got lucky back there. You're telling me that there are five fuckers out there that could be like…shit man, if some fuckers already have these, then it is game over.** " Ragnarok shouts, giving a shove to Crona's chest that cause the boy to stumble back a little. "T-The Infinity Well had told me that some of them don't even realize the f-full power of their g-gem." He tries to convince Ragnarok…

…only to get hit again. " **So, there are people with these gems, of course! Let me ask you something…are these nice enough people that they would allow you to take it from them?!** " Ragnarok shouts as he places his hands onto hips, though he lacks a face, it was easy to see how angry he was as the top parts of his 'X' were bended downward slightly.

"Well…no but -" Ragnarok then grabs Crona shoulders again and starts to shake him.

" **Fuck off then, Crona let us cut our loses…it would be suicide to fight this kind of shit. From what I can…put together, that pebble in your hand could take complete control all that connect to the very soul right? And it alone was powerful enough to do THIS! Just from you touching it!** " He then throws his arms out to everything around them. He shoves his face close to Crona's growls out to him. " **You want to fight people who could…who can do this but with Time, Space, and Reality?! Fuck…off!** "

Crona stays silent for a bit, staring directly where Ragnarok's eyes would be. The demon sword pulls away and crosses his arm, thinking that he had won the argument…but before he could even say anything else, Crona mutters out. "…I could be with Maka again."

From many miles away, one could hear possibly the loudest scream of frustration ever made.

Ragnarok throws his head back as he lets out his scream, holding his hands to his head. " **Damn it, damn it, damn it, god mother fucking damn it!** " He turns around and kicks the stone he was sitting on far out of his view, and began shouting out all his rage as he paced back and forward. " **No, just NO, I want nothing to do with this fucking awful idea! We have been through too much as it is! Hell, our entire life we've had to deal with so much shit dumping on us till even when the whole world ended, and we had to look around to this fucking place just for answers…and you know what, I was fine with that…really, what else could we do? But now, now you are just telling me that you see this other pile of shit, the worst that we've ever seen ever! With infinity bulshit and god knows what else! And you just want to dive in head first in it!** "

Ragnarok then walks back to Crona, poking at the teen's chest as he shouts right in his face. " **Here's what I say to that.** **FUCK YOUR GEMS, FUCK YOUR STUPID PLAN, FUCK YOUR COW, AND DEFINITELY FUCK YOU!** "

At his last shout Ragnarok punch's Crona as hard as he could, knocking Crona nearly off his feet for a bit. The two stood there silently for what had felt likes minutes. The only sound being Ragnarok's heavy breathing from his shouting. The one to break eye contact was Crona as he just looked to the floor, he had place one hand to the side of his face that Ragnarok hit, with his other hand closed to his fist.

Ragnarok got ready for him to shout something back, or to attack him back…but neither happen as Crona slowly looks up to him with a cold look of determination.

"Fine…I'll do it myself."

He then turns his back to Ragnarok and kneels down to the Infinity Well. Placing the infinity gem in his left hand…he then dips it into the well's inners…and a bright golden light shined on from it. Ragnarok throws an arm over his 'X' as the light nearly blinded him…and as they dim down, he sees Crona was standing back up…a golden gauntlet on his left hand, with the with the Soul Gem placed right into the very middle of its palm.

He then begins to walk away, mumbling out a small. "…Goodbye."

For a moment as he walks off, Ragnarok just stood there and watched. Seeing how he wouldn't even look back to him. Didn't even give a wave or something.

They have been through so much shit.

The murders, the experiments, the many days trapped within that dark room…Ragnarok's legs moved without him thinking, his fist on the other hand... " **SON OF A BITCH!** " He cries out, catching Crona's attention long enough so he could turn his head…and get punch once again by Ragnarok.

Being taken surprise by the hit, Crona was knocked to his backside, where he stared irritably at Ragnarok and shout. "Stop hitting me!" Ragnarok stood over him and shouts back. " **Stop being a stubborn asshole! How dare you try to be 'the bigger man' here and just leave!** "

Crona gives a small growl as he slams his gauntlet hand down on the floor. "You didn't want to be a part of this." He tells him as he tries to move back up to his feet…only to pause as Ragnarok offers him a hand.

" **Just shut up!** " Ragnarok says. " **I'm coming…but not because I'll miss you or anything, it's because I know damn well for sure you won't last a goddamn minute without me.** " Crona looks at him and his offered hand with widen eyes. "R-really?" He mumbles out, with Ragnarok giving groan as he says back. " **Yeah, you're just that much of a piece of-** " He is stopped as Crona tackles him into a hug, nearly pushing him down.

"Thank you." Crona says happily, sounding close to crying. Ragnarok tries to push him away as he replies with ' **Thank you very mu-ah forget it.** ' He gives up, just letting Crona let go on his own.

With a sniff and wiping the few tears that manage to leak out, Crona begins to tell him. "This quest is going to be troublesome Ragnarok…we might have to face those with limitless power, the likes of which we've never seen before, due to them each wielding the gems…and maybe 'the end' itself."

Ragnarok gives a flick to Crona's nose. " **Dude, I just fucking agreed, don't make me regret it more than I already do…wait 'the end'?** " He questions at the title, wondering just what Crona meant.

Crona rubs at his nose a bit on the hit. "Some kind of thing that Kid was talking about, I looked into the Infinity Well but it seemed to be the only thing it cannot show me." He then gives a shrug. "Kid thought that…I was maybe it."

" **Well with my name, could you blame him?** " Ragnarok scoffs out, causing a Crona to give a small chuckle as he stands up to full height. "Heh…yeah, that is true."

With a sigh Ragnarok grips Crona's shoulders and turn him around. " **Well then…let me just see something**." He tells him, and leaps…easily slipping into Crona's back and returning to becoming one with his blood. With a large 'splat' sound, Ragnarok is out of Crona's back again…this keeping his bottom half in. " **YES! Back to piggy-back rides bitch! Oh man, this is good cause as much I like having legs again…I remember that walking sucks.** "

A familiar sense of nostalgia came over Crona and he couldn't help but laugh as he feels Ragnarok ruffle his hair. "Hehehehe…oh can you, um…you know." Crona fiddles with his fingers, with a hopeful look on his face.

" **I think I know what you are talking about…hang on**." Ragnarok slides into the body again and begins shifting around, unknown to the two as this happened…the Soul Gem gave a slightly shine, and from out Crona's back forms two large black blood wings. Crona gives an excited gasp at seeing them, before he bends his knees down…and launches himself into the air with his full might. " **Wait asshole, I'm fucking rusty!** " Ragnarok yelps out as the two flew through the air, the black wings quickly flapping before being managing to even themselves out, allowing the two to continue to fly.

Unknown to either of them, a person stood at what remains of the Infinity Well.

He wore a black outfit with redden areas on it such as the man's arms, legs, and on his belt, that had two sashes on the front of it. On his back was a long red cloak, that was yellow underneath, that was connected to his outfit with a…familiar cartoonish skull.

"So…you've collected one of six, Titan…such a quest would be mad…hehehe…a mad titan, now it is much more believable how it is you've fallen uncle." He chuckles out, his voice sounding to guff yet having a wise tone though it. "A mad titan, oh boy…father is gonna throw a fit when he finds out who exactly it is." He brushes aside some of his blonde hair, so that he could better gaze upon what he held in his hand.

A staff, with a hawk figure on the top of it…and within the hawk's beak was a purple gem. "But he might just be what the universe needs." With a raise of his staff and a small bright flash of light, he was no longer standing at the remains.

Gone now, to spread the word of Death's demise.

* * *

 _The Soul Gem._

 _One of the six._

 _With it the wielder can observe, attack, split, duplicate, create, destroy, cancel out, or even still a targets spirit. It can manipulate the soul of any and every individual in existence. The living, the dead, a life from another universe, it doesn't matter. Such power can be truly deviating within the wrong hands._


	4. POWER (p1)

Quiet.

Simply dark and quiet.

He stands on the quiet dark beach, this time alone.

Isolated.

Even the waves of the black ocean have died down into the softest of splashes against the gray sand. No light to be seen at all, now. No hope to be found. There was nothing around him.

Just a cold sense of…loneliness.

The black blood teen, holds his hand to his eyes, trying to shield himself from bleakness around him. Time was non-existent to him. No way to tell how long anything was anymore. Yet it felt like days, months even of this awful feeling.

He found himself less incline to care about time though, with each of his visits to this place. Time didn't matter. What did, was if he could survive each time itself. Survive the feelings he hated himself for having. It wasn't the main reason he did so, but it was on his list of reasons.

Almost comedically, he could imagine Ragnarok having almost the same kind of list for him. Probably making up new reasons, like how he hated how the teen smells flowers or something along those lines.

The chuckle he gave at the thought was faint, almost echoing across the land around him.

It truly was too quiet here.

Giving a small sigh, and looking down at the sand at his feet. Crona childishly kicks at it. Watching as the sand either fell back to the floor or be blown away in the silent wind.

"…why?"

He asks out loud, as he slowly takes his hand from his own face. "Why am I feeling this, still?" As he speaks, his eyes wander down at himself, to his other hand that was still at his side.

The hand that wielded the gauntlet.

The one that had the infinite power of the soul within it.

A sound is heard. The splash of water.

Crona snaps his head to it…and sees his hope was there.

Her golden like dress…grown dim, and gray. With no light coming off her being.

Her back was facing him as she stood at the edge of the black ocean, the waves washing up to her feet as she looks out to the far ever-expanding blackness. He could see she was holding her hands behind her back, gripping one hand tightly over the other.

"Maka…" He calls out to her, as he steps forward…but is stopped as his foot touches something that was halfway embedded within the sand. Looking down, he saw ever so clearly what it was, even in the blackness of this place.

It was a mask of a certain cartoonish skull. That belong to a certain cartoonish reaper.

"…oh." Crona mumbles in a knowing and…somewhat bitter tone. "You saw that, didn't you?" He asks a question he already knew the answer to. "He was…not Kid, not the same one you knew. Not anymore." He tries to defend himself, but he knew better.

She knew better.

He steps over the mask, and walks to her. "The Soul Gem had corrupted him. Made him into something else. He could not bear the mass of infinite that the gem could give." Though he was at her side, he kept his distance. He does not even turn to look at her. There was no need, he could feel her eyes were staring into him. And while some part of him enjoy the attention she gave…the rest of him just felt nothing but shame.

He looks down at himself, at the very same gem that had destroyed the Kid he knew of so many years ago. He brings the gauntlet up, resting the palm of it on his own chest. He could feel that his heart was quivering, even though the gauntlet's metal. "I'm sorry." He manages to push out. Taking a moment to collect himself as best he could before he could continue. "I could have maybe reasoned with him, tried to save him just as you did me. But he showed me things…answered questions I didn't ever dare to ask. My anger, my pain….it took hold and I am sorry. I am so…so sorr-"

He is stopped…as he feels something.

He didn't even know what it was for a moment…till he found himself on the knocked down to the sand, placing one of his hands against his cheek and Maka was…standing over him. Trying to seem coy, even as she was shaking her hand like she just hit a wall. "D-Did you just punch me?" Crona asks out in disbelief.

As she continues to look on at the ocean of black blood in front of them, Crona continues to rub at his cheek. The hit…was nothing really. Thinking that Ragnarok's little fist when he was small hurt more than that. But it was mainly the idea of his hope hitting him that had shaken him up. "Maybe…I deserved that. No, I did actually." He mumbles out…only to stop as Maka takes a stomp toward him.

He quickly readies himself to take another soft hit…but it never comes. Instead he was met with something much worse. Maka was just glaring down at him with…a look. A mere look, yet it held so much. He could see it all in her beautiful green eyes.

The anger, the worry, the fear, the dread…the disappointment all directed to him.

It hurt more than any punch or stab.

She remained silent still though, as she kneels right down next to him…and takes his hand into her own. The one that wore the gauntlet. Her attention all on the green gem of infinity as she slowly runs the tip of her fingers along it. Crona understood now, what truly caused those emotions he saw in her eyes.

He spoke as softly as he could. "…What happed to him, won't happen to me." The gem began to faintly glow in response to her touch. She just keeps her eyes on the gem, staring deeply into it while keeping all those emotions in her eyes. Crona gently moves his other hand up to Maka's face, resting it on her cheek. "I swear to you Maka…this gem will not change me."

She takes a deep breath, and slowly blinks her eyes for a moment…before taking Crona's hand from her face and placing it on the back of the gauntlet. Leading his hand along it…to the five slots that were at the knuckles of his fingers and thumb.

Each meant to hold a certain gem of infinity.

So much power that is unthinkable, right in the palm of his hand.

Crona knew what plagued his hope, or at least he thinks it was. "Kid had told me about the others, I had seen them in the well. I know where they are, I'm looking for them." Maka slowly begins to shake her head. "You need not worry. I-I've gotten stronger…I am still getting stronger. I can get them, easily." She continues to softly shake her head, even as Crona stands himself up to his feet, and raise his voice. "Maka…with them, I-I can fix everything! I can make everything as it was…better than what it was!"

Maka brings her hands up to her the sides of her head, as her whole body starts to shake. Crona, grabs her arms and stops her, a large excited smile on his face. "No, Maka please! You need to understand, with these…I…I CAN do it! Medusa can be nice, no more fighting between the witches and DWMA, no more pain, no more…anything bad! I…I…" He stops himself…as Maka looks up to him.

…small tears beginning to buildup in her eyes.

The words move out of him before he could stop himself. "W-We could be together again…w-why don't want that?" He keeps his hold on Maka's arms and kneels down to her level, as the tears begin to drop from her face. Quiet…still quiet.

All she gave was a small shake of her head.

"N-…no…no, please tell me, you can't just say no." His voice begins to creak slightly, seeing his hope crying in front of him was…unbearable, even worst as he couldn't understand why she was doing so. "Please…please Maka, tell me. Answer me, why do you not want us to be together!? Why…why Maka!? Wh-"

He's stopped as he feels something…touch him.

A hand had grabbed his shoulder.

Shocked at the feeling of the touch, Crona turns his head to behind him…and there stood, in his proper reaper's robes, with his cartoonish mask on the side of his head...was a completely normal looking Kid as he said. "You really have a hard time listening, do you?"

* * *

Crona's Quest

 _POWER_

* * *

A jolt, and Crona wakes up panting for breath.

His eyes quickly scanned around him, as he held a hand out in front of him. The feeling of power builds up for a moment…but stopped as he looks around and sees there was no one else here with him. He rests his upper body back down.

He was laying on a piece large piece of rock, within an old broken building. He turned his head to look outside, through the large opening that the building had.

Just more broken buildings, streets, and sand…lots of sand. It had been…a long while sense he had fought with Kid back in the ruins of Death City, and sense then…they have been traveling. Looking for a certain place. A village.

For the Infinite Gem of Power

Though it was no easy task to follow directions given from a well of infinite knowledge. That…and fighting off the massive feeling of hunger, which he remembers is what he passed out from. A rather…embarrassing moment he would not like to think about.

He places a hand over his eyes…pausing for a bit as he noticed it was the hand that wore the gauntlet, before he begins to run his hand down his face. "Ragnarok?" He softly calls out, and hears no response. Pushing himself back up to a seating position, Crona gives out a small groan. "Great…probably still…sleeping. Great help there." He mumbles under his breath, as he tries to push himself from the make-shift bed…only to stop as he feels an empty pain in his stomach, and forces him to seat back down.

"Owie…" He moans out as he hunches a bit over. He was no stranger to the feeling of hunger, he had spent many nights without food…but now…now it's been about who knows how long since he's even eaten anything. The only thing that could be thought up of food would be that drink that Eruka gave him.

And even by poison standards, it tasted awful.

" **Hey, fuckfac-** " A voice calls out, and before Crona could even realize whose voice it was, the power builds through his body and two skinny pillars of blackness shoot from his eyes, right to the direct that the voice had come up.

Giving a few hard blinks to help clear his vision quickly, Crona gives a shake of his head and looks at his target…and sees a completely black version of himself, save for the gloves and large white 'X', was standing at the opening of the building…with two large holes going through his chest.

Ragnarok looks down at himself for a moment, bringing a hand up to gesture to the holes he had in him now. " **Really?** " He calls out, as the one of the upper corners of his 'X' raised a little. " **Well, Good Morning to you too.** " He growls out as he walks further into the building, the holes in his chest sealing themselves up like nothing happened.

"…Sorry, didn't know it was you." Crona mumbles out as he places a hand over his eyes to rub at them for a bit. While Ragnarok just sets something on the floor and begins to work on a pile of wood that seem to have already been place there. " **Well, let's be happy that you're getting the hang of it now, and you aren't fucking flying off every time you do that 'eye beam' crap.** " Crona removes his hand and gets ready to say something back, but pauses as he notices what Ragnarok had brought…it looked to be some kind of animal. A mix of a weasel and a goat.

"Did you…go hunting?" Crona asks, seeing the that the creature was not only dead, but had a hole going through its side. Ragnarok looked up from the pile of wood and saw what he was referring to. " **Oh yeah, I mean your stupid ass was still asleep, I needed to do…something. So, it was either that, or just creepily watch you sleep. By the way…a thank you isn't too hard considering I had to chase this fucking thing with a stick and a pointy rock.** " He says, before he continues to try and start a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, Crona pushes himself off his makeshift bed, and falls face first right next Ragnarok. The Demon sword not even moving to help him as he started to become frustrated with the wood not burning. For a few moments Crona just continued to watch him, and then back to the killed animal before he asks. "…Why did you use a spear? Couldn't you just…stab it with your…I guess you can say body?" Ragnarok gives a scuff as he drops one of the sticks back on the pile of wood, and easily picks Crona up into a sitting position with one hand.

" **Look there is just some things us weapons don't do. Eat something we killed with ourselves is kinda one of them. It would be kinda like…I dunno, eating something that you just stepped on with your barefoot…it's weird.** " He then continues to try to start a fire.

Moving into a more comfortable position, and crossing his legs, Crona gives a small groan as he grabs his stomach. "Ow." He mumbles out, with Ragnarok giving another scuff as he lightly elbows Crona's side. " **Yeah, feel that? It's called not eating for literally years. Honestly, we should have gotten something to eat right after waking up. Guess you being a Kishin doesn't go that far…or does it? I mean that Asura guy probably didn't need it…did he get feed while he was in that- fuck it.** " Ragnarok rambles on before he stops himself and continues to try and start a fire.

"…you're doing it wrong." Crona tells him, as he leans a bit forward and takes one of the sticks from Ragnarok's hands. " **Oh, then you do it mister eyebea-** " Ragnarok begins…only to stop as he sees Crona grip the tip of the stick and it instantly begins to steam and catch fire, before he tosses it back into the pile. The rest of it starting to burn.

Ragnarok stares at the flames for a moment…before quickly looking to Crona with the upper part of his 'X' raised in shocked. " **How the fuck did you do that!?** " He shouts in a bit of amazement, as Crona just moves to another sitting position. Holding his legs close to his chest this time as he held them in place. His eyes were on the flames as it began to slowly grow in size.

"Remember back to that time where we stayed in the cabin, off in that snowy mountains?" He asks, as he rests his chin on his knees. Watching as the fire danced along the woods surface, how everything under it died. How the wood was burning so horridly, that the small cackling of burn bark could be thought of as if it was screaming in agony.

Crona gives a small hum as he realizes that those old…'hippies' as Ragnarok called them were right. Trees do have souls. Small, very small kinds. Can't even be seen by people, even Meisters. It wonders for a moment how he can see it…till a bit of light shines in his eye…and he looks to his left hand, that house the green Infinity gem.

He fights the urge to groan out a small 'of course' as he places his hand to the floor. While he was thinking all this, Ragnarok was busy. Impaling the animal that he killed with a large stick, and using two others and some small stones to stand it up over the fire.

As he sits back down next to Crona he asks. " **…wait hold on, was that before or after the time that bitch of your mother dragged us to Mexico, and you took a shotgun blast to the face? I'm not gonna lie…most of what happened during that is kinda a blur for me.** " He says while giving a wave of his hand.

Crona takes a deep breath as he places his right hand on the side of his face, remembering back to what Ragnarok was talking about. Learned quick that some people really didn't like his mother that day…especially when she had apparently killed their brother. "After." Crona mumbles as he places his hand back around his leg, with his eyes drifting low to the ground as he thinks back to that night.

"It was very late, and Medusa kept me up to run some test on me just in case the direct hit to the back of skull left any 'lingering problems'. I think you were asleep at the time…or was really annoyed you didn't get to have some of those weird food they served-" He stops as Ragnarok quickly stands back up, Crona's eyes widen expecting something to happen…only for Ragnarok to turn to him and shout.

" **Enchilada and Tamales are not in the 'weird food' category, you ass! They are fucking delicious…and oh my god, I am pissed now cause I just realize I can never have those again! Son of a bitch!** " Crona gives a small smile as he sees Ragnarok slap himself right over the 'X' and begins to grumble out low curses. " **Okay…okay…** " He says a bit louder, as he slides his hand down his face and turns to look at Crona again…seeing the smile that he had on his face. " **Oh, I'm sorry am I amusing you?! Am I freaking clown for you now…just tell me how the fuck to start a damn fire already.** "

Crona gives a tiny snicker, before he quickly composes himself as he begins to explain. "Well the place didn't have much of a heater, and it was getting really cold inside. I saw Medusa walk to the fire place and…do that." Crona says while gesture to the fire, and then placing his fingers together in a ready to snap position. "I asked how she did it…and she told me that it was just a small trick with one's soul. If you have enough control over it, you can maybe produce a little spark large enough to catch something flammable on fire. It's…kinda of the same thing that makes people somethings get shocked when they touch another person." With a snap of his fingers, a very small flicker of light blue quickly flashes in his hand.

" **Shit…you mean to tell me, you never used that in a fight before?** " Ragnarok asks, with a 'trying to be clear' look on his face. As Crona places his hand back down he continues to explain. "It's not really useful in a fight, and it can't even be used to light a room or anything. It's just a tiny spark." Crona then looks back to the fire, with his face…turning somber. "…She said that was just a trick that she learned back when she was with a gypsy group, and they had to spend many nights in the cold."

A loud scoff comes from Ragnarok as his arm stenches to the cooking dead animal, turning it on the stick a bit, trying to roast more of it. " **Shit…she actually talked with you? I'm shocked.** " He says in a tone of disbelief as his arms reshapes to normal.

Crona gives a small shrug at that. "No…I think she was just…reminiscing. Had this…faraway look in her eyes." He says, giving a small wave in front of his face with his gauntlet-free hand. "I tried to ask her what a gypsy was…and she gave me a dictionary and sent me out of the room." Ragnarok gives a loud 'HA' sound as he gets up from the floor, and walks outside for a bit.

He returned soon after with a make-shift spear in his hand, with the tip still a bit bloodied. " **Let me guess…you thought it started with a 'J' didn't you?** " Ragnarok says jokily as he sits back down next to Crona, and begins to untie the sharpen rock that was on top of the stick. He catches the embarrassed look Crona had just before he placed his face into his hand.

" **You're such a stupid ass.** " Ragnarok Chuckles out, before he turns the rock to Crona. Offering the blunt end to him. " **You want to do the honors?** " He asks, with Crona giving a glance at the rock, and then back to the cooking animal. A bit of hesitation in his eyes as he gripped his legs a bit tighter.

"…You sure that…whatever that thing is…is really safe to eat?" Ragnarok gives a shrug, as he flips the rock around and holds it like a dagger. " **…Well…I don't think you're in the market to be picky.** " He mumbles out as he wipes the blood away with his free hand.

Crona gives a cautious look at the animal, only though as he realizes something…the aroma that it had. It made the pain in his stomach grow worst, enough to make him give out a groan. " **That's a good enough way to tell it's ready.** " Ragnarok said, as he stood up from the ground again and takes the creature off the fire, ripping off one of its legs for himself, before throwing the rest of it at Crona…which had smack into his face like a basketball and knocked him onto his back.

Giving a chuckle, he walks to the opening of their little temporary 'home'. " **…seriously man, eat up. Last thing I need is your ass passing out on me again. Bad enough I had to drag you all the way out here.** " The bottom half of his entire head just seems to open like a large jaw, with him just tossing in the leg within the black mass and in seconds he is spitting out the means of bones and giving a satisfied sigh.

He then turns to look behind him, seeing how Crona was nibbling on the animal's stomach as best he could. It was like watching a squirrel eat. With another chuckle at the thought of Crona with buck teeth…it dies down quickly as his eyes fall to the gauntlet.

It's been so long since Crona had that thing on…yet, sometimes Ragnarok could still feel it. The unyielding power that little rock held. Enough that just a small touch of it was enough…to give him so much strength that he could finally leave his… 'prison'. Something hundreds of souls couldn't do.

To have such power in his hand, the question was obvious. " **…how is it like? Wearing that thing on hand?** " He asked, Crona pausing mid-chew as he looked up to the black blood version of himself, seeing it was staring at him.

Crona looks down at himself, bring his gauntlet hand up so it was close to his face. The Gem gave a small shine and for a moment…Crona could have swore he saw something within it, looking at him right back. He ignores it as he continues to eat for a bit more. Taking in the dry taste the creature gave. Honestly, Crona was shocked how good it came out. Though that might be due to lack of food for so long. He was honestly shocked it was happening to him now.

" **Hey, I asked you a question!** " Ragnarok shouts, as he began to get annoyed…but flinches as he sees the gem in Crona's gauntlet faintly glow. "…it's like…hard at times. I don't know how to really say it." Crona mumbles out, as looks at the gauntlet again. "Imagine trying to see all of the ocean at once…" Ragnarok looks visible confused by that.

"Um…like you're in the middle of a large pile of ants, and…there is so many that it just looks like a large black puddle around you?" He offers another analogy, but this just causes Ragnarok to lean back and give a small disgusted groan. " **That's terrifying.** " Crona shakes his head and takes another bit from the creature. "Like I said…it's hard to explain."

Truly it was for him, as whenever he looked into the green gem on the gauntlet it was like an ocean, an ocean of souls. Their numbers just continuing on and on, as the name 'infinity' would imply. It was like trying to grasp an entirely different world. From every single plane of existence, they were there. Souls from the beginning, the end, from different worlds, different spaces, different everything.

Crona had tried to focus, to grasp as much as he could, but it was like trying to pick up a specific type of match from an entire bucket of them, with boxing gloves on.

…and now having thought up that analogy, he feared that Ragnarok was rubbing off on him as these kinds of images plagued his head.

All he wanted was to find…her.

Find Maka's soul, his hope's soul.

But no matter how hard he looked within the gem, it was impossible.

The rest of their time was spent eating and giving small talk between each other. Before long the two were back to traveling. The area they were in was far from the ruins of Death City, how far couldn't be said exactly, but it was far...yet not far enough for a different looking area. As the two travel all they seem to find was, as Ragnarok would phrase it, 'a hell hole of dirt, cactus, and sand…hold the cactus.'

Crona didn't see the reason to complain about it though, ever since they had been to Death City and had gotten him to reform himself it has been much easier to travel. Aside from the few stops every now and again to regain their bearings…not having flown for such a long time could give someone a tag bit of nausea when suddenly doing it again.

Something Ragnarok keeps remaining him with comment like 'what are you even gonna throw up anyway, dust?' and telling him to quit being a wimp about it. " **Honestly man, you think after all this time you would have gotten used to being hungry.** " Ragnarok mumbles, with his head forming out of Crona's back as they flew.

"Yeah, then again I've never gone years without real food before." Crona mumbles back, his arms crossed against his chest as he looked to the ground for any sign of their target. They shouldn't be far now. As Ragnarok mumbles a small 'true' at his comment suddenly Crona's gem begins to glow.

Taking notice, Ragnarok spoke up quickly. " **Okay, glowing is good right?!** " He nearly shouts panicky. Remembering what had happened before, first time he had gotten a body…second time a cyclone of raw power form around them and completely destroyed the ruins of the DWMA building…he really wasn't looking forward to what was gonna happen now.

Though he was panicked, Crona was completely calm. Staring into the gem with widen eyes. It was as if it were…speaking to him. "Turn 54 degrees to your left, start counting backwards from 83 while slowly descending…and we'll reach the second gem." He says, speaking in a low tone that Ragnarok could barely hear.

" **I'm sorry, did you just GPS my ass?** " He asked, only for Crona to reach up to grab the bottom of his chin and pulls him down to his face. "Just trust me on this!" Crona shouts at him. Though heavily annoyed by the teen's raising his voice at him, Ragnarok did as he was told as best he could.

Of course, giving an attitude the entire time. " **54….53…52…51…still nothing Crona, the hell were you expecting from just pointing me in a random direction? 45…44…43…** " He continued, with Crona looking around hastily as he answered.

"I could hear them, numerous voices within the soul gem. T-they told me where to turn to, where to look." He says, with Ragnarok looking down at him with one of the upper parts of his 'X' raised. " **And that doesn't strike you as odd…because…** " He trails off in the end, hoping to let Crona finish for him.

"…I can't exactly explain it, but…I feel as if, the gems…want to be together, like it draws me to where they are." Crona is unable to see the unamused look Ragnarok holds as they land on the ground. " **Oh well shit, a fucking gem locator. Now we really are sounding like D &D nerds.**"

Crona continues to walk forward, continuing to look around them for anything else. "…what's D&D, is that a term for one of those weird things people do to each other?" The land around them was barren, nothing seems to be in sight expect for the sand.

Ragnarok form returned to his 'Crona-like' shape as looked he was about to say something but pauses for a moment, as a look of realization shows on his 'X' face. " **…okay, I was gonna make a joke about sex and D &D never coming close together…but that kinda summed it up perfectly.**" Ragnarok chuckles out for a bit at his own joke.

With an annoyed roll of his eyes, Crona continued to search for something that the gem was directing him too. Wondering just what could have pulled him to this placed. It had looked no different at all to the rest of this desert. He is left to wonder, what the gem was trying to lead him too.

He reserved the answer far sooner then he had expected though.

As he taken another step forward to survey the area again…and suddenly felt the sand shift under his foot…and completely cave in underneath his weight. "Ah!" " **SHIT!** " The duo each cry out at the sudden feeling of them falling through the ground…and continuing to do so.

" **Shit, shit, shit!** " Ragnarok cries out as he quickly shifts back into his winged form, to try and stop their fall. The flow of air there though wasn't like outside and trying to catch any under his wings were impossible. The result was the two of them crashing hundreds of feet to the ground.

A loud crash was heard from as they fell and hit the ground, which was made up of more sand and surprisingly…pavement. Which easily broke apart under Crona's weight dropping on it. "…ow." He mumbles out, more out of habit then from actual pain as he felt the impact of his fall more than anything else.

Placing a hand on the shoulder he landed on, he felt nothing was broken or loosen and gave a sigh of relief that he was fine. " **God damn it, why am I not shocked that out of the entire desert, WE would be the ones to find a hole to fall through!** " Ragnarok shouts as he reforms back to normal again…and the two pause their banter as they see where exactly they fell.

It was…a neighborhood.

Old and decrepit, but a normal looking neighborhood nonetheless. A typical suburban community it looked to be, with houses with seemly two floors and much room for a yard. What was really strange was how…well kept it looked. At worst it was like a bad storm came through here, but that was it. There were still windows clean enough to see through, the yards had their grass looking oddly healthy, he could even see flowers and some bushes with what seem to be fruit there.

Crona's eyes then moved upward from where he feel and saw that he was in a large…dome-like cave. The small opened he fell through was right over him, showing that there were several openings like it which provided the light for this place.

But as he moves to his feet and readies himself to explore…but he is stopped as all the doors to the houses around him open…and out steps the 'people' that lived here. " **Oh, you got to be fucking kidding me.** " Ragnarok mumbles out in disbelief as large insects of different breeds all came out of their homes, standing outsides the houses and looking right at them.

Their antennas all twitch, and he could hear strange sounds echoing from their mouths. Some were turning to each other, and directed these actions to one another. They were communicating to each other. Crona's eyes widen as saw this. "T-they…they are actually…thinking?" He mumbles quietly to himself, noticing more things. This being very much different than most of the creatures he had met and seen since he had come here. How they were keeping their distance, that they looked more frighten by him rather than angry. He could see that the smaller, most likely, younger ones, were being held behind what could be their mothers and fathers.

He lowers his fists as he sees this. Ragnarok reacting as anyone would expect. " **The fuck you doing? Unless you got a can of raid on you, we got to squish these bastards the old fashion way!** " He forms out of Crona's back and shifts his right arm into a blade form. He was stopped from rushing forward as Crona grabs him with his gauntlet hand.

"Wait…look around, they aren't attacking us." Crona tells him, keeping his eyes to the insect people around them. " **Oh congrats, they learn the art of being patient.** " Ragnarok says sarcastically, as he tries to shake off Crona's hand to no avail. The boy just kept his grip as he told the demon sword in a warning tone. "And you would think that over two thousand years would have done the same for you."

Just then, one of the insects came towards them. No rush, nor hostility to be found. Crona could even tell it was carefully taking steps, as if not to startle him or Ragnarok. Strange echoing sounds came from it, as it twitched its antennas at him. "It's trying to talk to us." Crona says as he lets go of Ragnarok's shoulder.

The Demon sword just gives out a scoff as he turns to face the bug. " **Look at you, about a few seconds here and you already made a friend. Look, I'll roll with it, but the moment it tries laying eggs so it's young could burst out of your chest, I'm burning this place down.** "

"Would you stop talking for a few seconds, so I can think." Crona says in an annoyed tone as he tries see how he could try speaking to the bug creature, while Ragnarok just continued grumble back at him. " **What's the point, not like there is an 'English to bug dictionary' around. What's next, you're gonna speak Greek to it?** " He finishes with a teasing tone.

Crona held back a sigh, knowing what Ragnarok was referring two. Another of the things that his mother had taught him was how to speak and read the her natural language. Something the Demon sword like to poke at from time to time, for whatever reason.

"…I don't know, will you speak Norse?" Crona says, trying to throw the comment back at him. Only for the demon to just chuckle as says. " **Why don't I?! (Hey, numbnuts!)** " He says while turning to face the insect. " **(You understand the words coming out of my mouth?!)** " Seeing it look at them with confusion provided him with the answer. " **God, how is it I don't even know a thing about bugs but I clearly tell he has no idea what the hell I am saying?** " He blurs out angerly, as he turns around and throws his arms in the air.

Crona rushes in front of him and places the gauntlet hand on the demon sword's chest. "Ragnarok would you just-" Before Crona could finish though, the Soul Gem on the gauntlet began to glow suddenly in a bright light. It lasts for only a single second as it quickly faded back to its normal state, but the two were frozen as they did not know what it had actually done.

After a few seconds of silence, it was unsurprisingly Ragnarok that spoke first. " **Uh-oh…it glowed, what's that mean? Do I have cancer now or something?** " Crona looks up at him as he pulls his hand away, looking irritated as he says. "How would that even-…forget it." He groans out as he steps away from the him and nearly walks right into now excited insect that had walked up to them.

"mu'cah! I was starting to think, neither of you knew our language." It says in an ecstatic tone, with both of them being able to perfectly understand him now, which understandably had started the two.

Ragnarok quickly turns to face the insect and with the 'X' open outward straight in an almost shocked expression. He leans close to Crona and whispers. " **…did that fucking thing just talk in Norse!?** " He asks, with Crona whispering back. "…I heard Greek."

"What are you two speaking about?" The joyful insects ask, as he takes an eager step closer to them. Ragnarok, in wishing to try and get some footing in the situation, grabs Crona's shoulders and drags him away from it with him. " **Um…excuse us for a minute.** " He says in a rarely heard polite tone.

Crona did not fight his hold, as the two quickly turn their back to the insect and huddle together so that they couldn't be over heard by it, or it could see their faces. "Ragnarok…I think it is the gem, it somehow seems to…link the souls to…allow us to communicate with each other, I think it might be with what language we feel at home with." He tries to explain, rationalizing what had happened as best he could.

Though he had seen much when he gazed into the Infinity Well, even it couldn't provide him with just how the infinity gems had worked. Their power was that that immeasurable, not even an object made from their power had the ability to see its limits.

Ragnarok was as joyful from the revelation as one would expect him to be. " **Oh, so it's a fucking translator too. Congratulations gem of infinite power, you manage to figure that out, yet you forgot to tell us we were supposed to fall down a hole a few minutes ago. Good job!** " He says, grabbing Crona's gauntlet hand and talking to the gem itself.

Crona swiftly pulls his hand away from his grip and mumbles. "Ragnarok, it's not like the gems are sentient." To which Ragnarok just threw his arms up in the air again and says back. " **You don't know that! Would it seriously surprise you if it was?!** "

He opens his mouth for a response but stops himself. Instead he takes another long look at the gem in his gauntlet. Now that Ragnarok had brought the idea, Crona could not deny that it held much ground. It would explain the way the gem had felt as it flowed through his mind, and how it's power moved in low waves throughout his body. Like the how a living being would hold a conversation and breath. "…okay, good point."

Crona admitted, but as he turns back to look at the insect he tells Ragnarok. "But that only means I have more to learn…Hello." He greets the creature, walking up to it and giving a small bow to try and be polite.

Ragnarok leans his head back and gives out a frustrated sigh, before joining Crona's side. The creature looks at the two with confusion again, before it asks. "Well you two are certainly strange. Not from around here, I would guess, yes?"

Giving a scoff, Ragnarok points a finger up to the hole that both he and Crona had fallen through. " **From out of town, we came from the sky you see.** " He says in a fake cheerful tone, the kind Crona knows as his 'used car salesman tone'. He liked using it a lot whenever he liked to annoy him whenever he doesn't know stuff.

The insect had not managed notice the mocking tone Ragnarok was giving them, instead seeming to be concern as it looked the two over. "That you did. That was quite a fall you both had taken, are you okay?" It says, leaning closer to them with its antennas twitching close enough to nearly touch them.

"No, we're fine. We've taken a lot worst." Crona says as he instinctually moves away, not knowing how to deal with the large bug touching him. He wasn't a fan of them when they were small, being larger then him now was a little much.

" **Shit, have we. Shoot at, stabbed, beaten up, burned, thrown around like a rag-doll, attempted poisoned, attempted melted, eaten and spat out, starvation…and that was only before our lives got somehow worst.** " Ragnarok listed off, counting off his fingers all that had happened to them so far from their travels.

The insect gives a low clacking noise from its throat before it continued to speak. "Ma'telo. I am so sorry to hear of that, are you both lost? Our people would be happy to help you. Come, come everyone." As he spoke, he turned to signal others to come to them, all the other insects that had previously watched while keeping their distance, quickly began to come towards them.

" **We're getting a big infestation around us…** " Ragnarok says, clearly not liking how they were beginning to crowd around Crona and himself. His tone alone told Crona that if one of these creatures so much as twitch one of their six appendages at him wrong, he would just start attacking without thought.

"Shut…up." Crona tells him as sternly as he could, while keeping his voice low. His raises it back to normal as he talks to the one insect that first spoke to them. "We're not lost…if anything I think we were directed here. Please is there someone we can talk to, someone who is in charge, a leader of some kind."

The insect gave out a joyful clicking noise. "Ohhh, the Ma'tnota!" It says loudly, causing all too suddenly all the insects surrounding them to burst into a loud mass of clicking noises. All seeming to into talking among themselves about the name the first insect spoke of excitedly. And also, about the travelers who have come to speak to it.

" **The fucks a Ma tontn?!** " Ragnarok whispers while leaning closer to Crona, his body shifting a bit as he sees how excited they all were. Crona tries to calm him down by holding his non-gauntlet wearing arm out in front of Demon Sword.

The first insect had stepped even closer to the two. "I don't know, but please let me talk to them. He could be who we are looking for." Crona quickly whispers back, right before the creature could speak again.

"He is leader, as you said. He is at his home, I will gladly take you, if it pleases you." It tells them, but before Ragnarok could give out a comment, Crona spoke up first. "It would help us a lot, thank you very much."

As the insect turned to the crowd around them to clear a path, Ragnarok pulls Crona into another huddle. " **You literal son of a bitch, we could be walking straight into a trap! Okay, I'm placing bets now…if this is gonna end with me saving your ass and saying, 'get away from her, you bitch', this is kinda a dream come true for me.** "

Crona just rolls his eyes at another one of his partner's references he didn't understand and pulled away from him. "Ragnarok, please!" He stresses the plead as he begins to follow the first insect as he already had a path cleared and was walking away.

" **Yeah, yeah…** " Ragnarok mumbles back as he walked forward to follow him, keeping his guard up the entire time. " **I swear if beating death actually made that fucker cocky…** " He mumbles quietly to himself, before letting it go. His own and Crona's thoughts quickly turning attention to the place they were now in.

From the look of it all, it seemed to have been a suburban neighborhood turned into a small town, or rather a village. They walked by small homes that used to house people, and huts that seem to be made from harden mud and old concrete. Many other insects all came out of their homes as they saw them walk by, easily able to hear the mumbles they were giving to each other.

After a short while of walking, the insect leading the two had stopped in front of the largest building that the village seem to have, which seemed to be about three stories tall, with no windows at all. It looked to be held together by a mixture of many things that surprising made it seem the most durable out of all the buildings here.

"This is the home of the Ma'tnota, our leader and Champion." The insect told them, before it bows down on the floor, right next to the open doorway leading inside. Not seeing much light though, a bit of hesitation came over Crona.

Something Ragnarok didn't notice, as he was instead looking at the insect who was now presses its face against the floor. " **The fuck are you doing?** "

"We bow down, as to show the respect our Ma'tnota deserves. It is he who is protecting us, it is he who has guided us, and it is he tha-" " **Okay, I get it.** " Ragnarok rudely interrupts as he looks at the building again. Not liking how dark it seemed with its lack of windows and having what seemed to be only one entrance inside.

" **I know I haven't exactly been secretive about my feelings for all this…but I don't like this.** " He says in an obvious tone, as he crosses his arms. " **Look at this fucking evil lair, Crona are we actually doing this?!** "

His loud upset tone was enough to momentarily knock Crona out of his own thoughts. "Huh-what? I'm sorry." This, Ragnarok did take notice of. " **You doing alright?** " Crona gives a small shake of his head to help clear his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Stay here. I'll…go inside." He says, trying to shake of the sudden feeling of familiarity that crept to him. Only happened during certain rooms with no light, the kind that gave him a sense of déjà vu. His many dreams of the dark and his hope he's had was not helping his situation.

He refuses to let this stop him though as he tries to walk into the building, only for Ragnarok to quickly rush up in front of him.

"… **how about no?** " The demon sword says, before shoving Crona back. Surprising the teen a bit as he looks back at the weapon in surprise. "Ragnarok, listen. The infinity well showed me exactly who this holder was. I know exactly what to expect from him." He says, while gesturing to the building with his gauntlet hand.

Ragnarok leans his head back a bit as his eyes turn to stare at the gauntlet. " **Really…because I don't seem to remember you telling me that the fucker lived in an underground town and surrounded by fucking BUG PEOPLE- no offense.** " He quickly interrupted as he snaps his fingers and pointed at the still bowing insect that lead them here.

"None taken, friend." It tells them, as watch the two speak to each other.

" **So, it's either that well, fucked you over and decided to hold out some important little details like that…OR your stupid ass overlooked said important details. And I gotta be honest…I am one hundred percent willing to believe that both of these things happened.** " He says, before giving another shove to Crona's chest.

A low annoyed hum leaves Crona, before he forces himself to take a deep breath and calm himself. "…You're right, I'm sorry. But look…we are already here. I'll go in, and I'll talk to him." He tries to rationalize with him as best he could, but Ragnarok just raised one of the corners of his 'X'.

Getting angered by the look alone, Crona tries to assure him. "Ragnarok, please! I have this!" But Ragnarok just continued to give him the same look, till he finally decided to speak. " **So, let me get this genius plan of yours straight. I'm gonna stay out here, away from you, while you go talk to the guy who you told me has so much potential power, he could fart, and it have the same impact as a nuke.** "

"I didn't say that." Crona groans as he tightly closes his eyes and turns away from the duplicate of himself. "I mean…he could do that but…Well…I mean- that's just gross and-" He begins to ramble, before Ragnarok suddenly grabs his arm and drags the teen into the building with him.

" **Oh, for fuck sakes, come on!** " He says, begrudgingly, already knowing how this would end, and hopes that if he would rush through it, it would also end quickly. He regrets that choice as with the instant he and Crona entered, the doors of the building had closed behind them, leaving them in complete darkness.

A small whimper is heard, and before he could react, suddenly Ragnarok feels a hand tightly gripping over the one that he was using to hold Crona. He already knew it was the teen himself and had to hold himself back from letting out an annoyed sigh. Even with all that has happened with them, and all they had face, including holding Infinity in their palm.

Crona was still a traumatize child, with a near-crippling case of nyctophobia. The was a simple fact that both of them knew. Though he had great power within him, the dark was something else. It reminded Crona of too many things.

Or rather one simple thing.

His failures.

He tries to rid his thoughts of them, focus instead on something to keep him grounded. Such as his breathing and Ragnarok's hold on his arm. He couldn't even move his legs for a moment as they felt weighted down. He had just wish for a light to guide him.

And two were provided almost instantly.

One from his gauntlet, that shined a bright green that illuminate both himself and Ragnarok's body, up to even half the room, showing how bare it was of any kind of furniture or comfort, like the inside of a cave. The other half of the room was lit, by a menacing red light, the same shade as blood. Both Crona and Ragnarok took a notable step back together as they witness the one that they had searched for.

One that stood over them in size and stature, with its body holding an armored shape with notable scars from past battles. With one of his horns seeming to have been snapped off at the past. It did have more 'human' traits then the other insects. It had better posture, holding itself upright much better than the others. It also seems to have some idea of clothing, as it had braces on two of its arms and a large also belt around its waist right below it's two extra sets of skinny arms.

The two each wondered if the so called 'Ma'tnota' would be like one of the insects they saw.

They had gotten their answer as its twelve eyes all look down at them, the red glow of the gem was embedded underneath its main horn. That was what mainly had Crona's attention. As he already knew exactly what it was.

The Infinity Gem of Power.

The one that allowed its user to control the amount of power of anything or anyone, and if used right could potentially wipe out all the life on an entire planet with a single wave of a hand.

Ragnarok focused on something else entirely.

" **Did that well told you, it be in the hands of a giant dung beetle…who looks super pissed off.** " He whispers so lowly that Crona could barely even hear him, despite the two still holding each other. "I think that might just be how his face looks." Crona could only mumble back as his eyes then move down to the gauntlet hand that was holding Ragnarok's.

How the gem was shining just as brightly as the red that was in the Ma'tnota's head. Taking a deep breath to push nervousness down, Crona looks up to the large beetle creature and says. "I-"

"So, this is who you are."

The Beetle quickly responds before Crona could even finish his first word. "I had…expected more, from what I heard of you." It said in a deep voice that seem to emphasize power with his tone alone. It was almost enough to make Ragnarok trip backward on his own footing.

Crona was more focus on what it had said, rather than its voice. "…you know me?" He asks, taking the gauntlet covered hand off Ragnarok's arm and holding it towards his chest. The Soul Gem's glow turning dim as he moves it.

With a small nudge of his head, suddenly torches on the walls around the room spark on automatically, allowing them to see it with a more natural light. "No. Only have heard of you, a description of who you are. The one who conquered death himself…the one with the golden gauntlet…The Mad Titan." He spoke in an intrigued tone for a moment as his own gem lost its glow.

"… **look at that…you got a new nickname.** " Ragnarok says in a force cheerful tone as he moves his hands to his hips. " **We'll…better than just 'the demon swordsman'. Having one less syllable really makes the difference.** " He says, while turning to Crona. Though his face lack much in means of expressing, there was the unmistakable look on there of one begging to flee away from a situation.

Crona had not notice this look, as his eyes were trained on the Soul Gem in his gauntlet. "…the Mad Titan…" He mumbles, trying the word among his lips. The large Beetle nods his head. "Yes…I've been told of you. By nonother then the 'Godslayer' himself." It says as he turns its back to them. "Come, follow me."

It walks off, revealing that behind it was a stairway that it was blocking from view with its large firm. Crona shares a look with Ragnarok upon hearing something called the 'Godslayer'. Already knowing if someone was called that, it was for a reason. " **Did I mention how much I am not liking this shit yet?** " Ragnarok comments as the two follow behind the beetle, watching their steps as they move up the stone craved stairs.

The echo of the Ma'tnota's footsteps were loud, easily dwarfing Ragnarok and Crona's own as they moved behind him. It was not long before they had gone up what felt like two floors, and saw a completely different room from the one below.

It looked to be more personal, with blankets placed on the floor and makeshift old pillows on top of them. "Sit." It commanded, gesturing to them and the floor, as it walked to a throne-like seat in the center of the room. Crona doesn't though, his eyes still on the walls of the room.

Decorated on them was old weapons, and accessories. Much like the bracelets and belt the Ma'tnota had on itself. This was a leader's room, where he made choices and told others what to do. Crona knew a powerplay when he saw one. "I…prefer to stand."

Ragnarok looked at him, with the top of his 'X' becoming straighten. " **Crona, lets please not piss off the giant Beetle of power, and accept his hospitality.** " Crona didn't move though, still standing by the stairs as he looked to the Ma'tnota sitting on its throne. It seems to notice what Crona was doing but didn't do anything with it. "I care not wither or not you choose to sit. If you wish to stand, then do so." Ragnarok gave a low sigh, mumbling something that couldn't be made out.

The Ma'tnota leaned in back in its throne, staring directly at Crona. Its many eyes trailing along each limb of the teens body and lingering on the Gauntlet more and more with each pass. Bits of his old self began to show as Crona grabs at his right arm and turns his body slightly. He was still wearing nothing but a part of old pants on him on himself.

He didn't really like the idea of being looked at while being so bare, he made a mental note to find something to cover himself more later on.

While Crona was thinking it was his form, Ragnarok was able to see exactly where the Ma'tnota many eyes kept going back too. He steps back and keeps a foot on the last step of the stairwell, incase something were to happen he knew that he needed to act quick and get himself and Crona out of there as quickly as possible.

"What is your purpose for coming to my home?" The Ma'tnota asks, raising a hand to gesture toward Crona. "Are you here for the same reason as you had for Death? To kill me?" Crona raises his hands defensively. "We don't mean to bring trouble."

" **Yet it kinda follows us wherever we go.** " Ragnarok says bitterly, a bit louder than he intended too as Crona quickly turns around and shushes him. "Please…we…we don't want to fight. My name is Crona. This is my friend, Ragnarok." As Crona turns back to look at the large beetle, he hunches over a little.

The Ma'tnota spoke up, its large mandibles seeming to be clicking slightly as it lets out a low growl. "I care not your name, who or what your companion is. You come here for a reason, not long after the Godslayer had told me of you. If it is not to kill me or bring any 'trouble' to my people…then what is your intent?"

Crona looks to the floor, hesitation in his eyes now. He didn't know what to say or rather how to say what he demanded. He remembers back to what the Infinite well had told him of this holder of infinity. He did not truly know what the gem was, or the power he had. Yet he remembers what had happened to Kid, and how much of a struggle it was to fight him thanks to the power that the gem was giving him.

Taking a breath to calm himself, Crona decides the best course was to be honest. "I…I came because of the gem."

The teen spoke as he looks back to the Ma'tnota, his eyes staring at the Infinity Gem that was still embedded under the horn of the large beetle. "The one that you have on your head. I…I need to have it." Crona pleads, in his usual soft tone. For a moment the Ma'tnota seems taken aback from the request.

Leaning forward on his throne, as he raises one of his three fingered talons toward the gem, just barely not touching it. He remained silent for a moment in thought with no other movement, till finally he asks. "…do you know what this is?"

His large talon fingers, still close to the Infinity Gem. "…I…I believe we have different thoughts on what exactly it is." Crona says, as he sees the large beetle give a small tap to the gem. It radiates with power once more. A red glow emitting from it that almost seem like lighting was pulsing out of it.

"That may very well be true. Because if you had known, you know this is the crest of the warrior. It's an heirloom passed down to those that prove to be the strongest of our kind." It told them, before it stood to its feet. Staring down at the two that had dared to enter its home and to asks such a thing of him.

Ragnarok could easily read the room and takes another step down the stairs. He grabs at Crona's arm and gives a small tug. He was trying to silently tell Crona that they should leave while they have a chance before it was too late.

But Crona stood his ground, even as the Ma'tnota stepped toward him still it stood right over him. The light of the Infinity Gem of Power beamed down on Crona, as more clicking noises could be heard from the Beetle's jaws, or rather it's large mandibles that seems just a hair away from crutching down on Black blooded teen's head.

"I know what I am asking for, is a bit much. A-and it seems very sudden." Crona tries to reason to it. His old self was showing more. Ragnarok could feel him shaking. "But I promise you, I am doing it for a good reason. One…I can't tell you. I'm sorry, but please…I ask for your trust."

The Ma'tnota stares down at Crona some more, before turning away from him and towards one of the walls of the room. "An outsider, asking for trust after expressing a desire for something of great value." It lets out a sound similar to a, as Crona remembers Ragnarok calling them, 'chain smoker' laughing as he picks up one of the old weapons off the wall.

It was fashioned as a spear, with a four tipped prong on each end. "You are not one to asks for much things, are you?" Crona looks down at his feet and nods his head. "Only when I really need something." Crona tells it, noticing it was running one of its talons along the edge of the weapon.

The Ma'tnota seems to be in thought for some time, as it places the spear back on the wall, keeping its talons along the shaft on it. Neither Crona, nor surprisingly Ragnarok said anything as it seem to be contemplating to itself. The Demon Sword was just waiting for any sign of hostility. He would grab Crona by his other arm and throw the boy as hard as he could down the steps if he had too.

Though he would admit he was a tad too ready to do so, as he was mid-way about to throw Crona right as the Ma'tnota spoke. "I will give it to you." It said as it turned to them, seeing Crona was trying to regain his balance as Ragnarok had pulled him off one of his feet.

"Ragnarok, for the love of- just stop!" He shouts as he regains his footing and throws Ragnarok's hold off him. Giving the black blood version of himself a glare. The demon sword raised his hands up defensively as he backs away from the teen. " **Sorry, panicked a bit. My bad.** " He apologizes while giving a shrug.

Giving a deep Sigh, Crona turns to the Ma'tnota. "So sorry, um…you were saying?" The beetle gives a cruel of its head. A clicking nose coming from it looked confused with the two. "Hmm…I said I will give it to you."

Both of them were easily taken back by the news. "R-really?!" Crona says, with a hopeful look in his eyes. " **No bulshit?** " Ragnarok mumbles out with the sides of his 'X' straightening.

The Ma'tnota steps away from the spear on the wall and turns to fully face the two. "Yes, though it holds much to myself as the Ma'tnota, it is only that of sentimentality. However…" It paused for a moment as Ragnarok turns around and throws his hands in the air.

" **And there's the bulshit.** " He calls out. With a quick shush from Crona, the beetle continued. "You spoke of me placing my trust upon you. That is not something to be given, but to be earn."

"…W-what do I have to do?" Crona asks, though seems a bit hesitant on what they would have to do. Ragnarok looks back to the large beetle and crosses his arms. " **If he fucking says, 'bare my children' I swear to god…** " He mumbles under his breathe.

Crona and the Ma'tnota, thankfully didn't hear this comment as the large beetle stood in front of the two. "My kind are at war, with a different tribe. The red Pha'sens. They attack at random, wishing to drive us from out of our home, for a long time. Many of the Ma'tnota before me had fought against them with seemingly no end in sight."

" **Oh, you got to be freaking kidding me- LET ME GUEST!** " Ragnarok shouts out, while throwing his hands to the side in an exaggerate style. Crona having to duck down to avoid accidently getting hit. " **You want us to help you take them down and only then after we go through this shit then you will give us the gem?** "

Crona pulls himself back up and smacks Ragnarok's arm down. "Ragnarok! Would you please-" He tries to say, only for Ragnarok to continuing shouting over his voice. " **No, fuck that, I've read way too many adventure books, I can see this shit from a mile away.** "

"Ragnarok, I have had enough-…You read adventure books?" Crona stops mid-sentence, his annoyance quickly changing to confusion as he realizes what Ragnarok had said. " **The late eighties were a dark time for me. Literally, it was nothing but crappy adventure books and star trek for a while there.** " Crona stared blankly at him for a moment, trying to imagine how his partner used to be before they had met.

He couldn't even think about him actually sitting down to read something, let alone more than a single book. Nor did he know he had any interest in astronomy from his 'tracking of stars'. "I didn't know that about you." He mumbles in a generally shocked tone. " **Well to be fair, a lot of my life was just me wondering around…I actually don't really have a lot to talk about myself…There was this one time in the seventies though where I took a shit load of LSD-** "

"You two…are strange." The Ma'tnota calls out, stopping the two before they can continue to ramble to each other some more. "Back to the matter at hand of you joining the fight, I cannot ask that of you. You are just a traveler, and it would be wrong to try and drag you into our war. What I ask of you is something different." He tells them before he walks back down the stairs, leaving the room with a call to come follow him.

Ragnarok just gives a shrug, before following with Crona right behind him.

As they all step outside, the many insects that lived in the village all seem to look at them, some bowing, others giving out waves, or just loudly clicking at them. Crona and Ragnarok tried not to pay them any mind though, just as the Ma'tnota did. It was too busy speaking to them. "As you can see, this village is our home. In here we have all we could desire. And the pha'sens knows of this. Sometimes they try to attack through underhanded means…burning our crops so that they could starve us and-" Ragnarok calls out to him. " **Hang on, so you want us on guard duty?** "

This causes the Ma'tnota to suddenly stop walking, before it turns to look back to the small creature made of black blood. "…Does it always seek to interrupt one's thoughts?" He says as his eyes shift to look at Crona.

"…unfortunately." Crona tells him, Ragnarok rolling the 'x's' that made up his pupils in response. The Ma'tnota lets out a huff of breath, before it turns back to look forward, and continue to lead them. "Seek better control of your mate." It said, stopping both Crona and Ragnarok in their tracks while it continued to walk forward. The two snap their heads to look at one another, the 'X' on Ragnarok's face was completely spread out at all angles while Crona's face turn to a deep shade of gray.

" **Did it just fucking call me your 'MATE'?!** " Crona presses his face into his hands and lets a muffled groan. " **No that is just…ugh, gross and weird on SO many levels. Oh man, I'm gonna be sick.** " Ragnarok's holds a hand up to where his mouth would be if he allowed it to form, trying to over come the nausea from the idea the Ma'tnota implied.

Pulling his face back up and shaking his head to get rid of his own disgusted thoughts of the idea, Crona rushes to reach the Ma'tnota side, walking along side it. He chose to ignore what the large beetle had said, mostly to spare himself from having to continue talking about that topic. "I am sorry, please continue." Ragnarok joins them, mumbling things under his breath while he crossed his arms.

"Right, as I was saying, they try to drive us away by attacking our crops. Burning them down and waiting for us to be weaken for their next attack." It explained as they continued to walk by the many other insects, without even giving a glance at those it passed.

"…they're acting smart." Crona says, noticing the Ma'tnota turned its head to look down at him. "I-it was something my mother had taught me, when it comes to destabilizing enemy strongholds or…villages in this case. It's one of the best ways to attack. Cause a shortage of their supplies and you a trigger a few things to happen."

The Ma'tnota stops walk, with Crona instinctually doing the same as he continued to explain, his tone changing from meek and fearful…to something deeper and thought-out. "Cutting the number of supplies, means that the enemy will have to try and focus on accommodating for the sudden change as soon as possible for them. Depending on the severity of the attack and the number of the supplies being destroyed and with enough knowledge of your enemies' location, just…about anyone can take a number of educated guesses on what can be done."

He raised a finger from his gauntlet hand.

"For example. If done well and you cut a large enough portion of their supplies and trap them within whatever place they reside by simply boxing them in, you cause massive internal drama to happen. Things such as demand and need to try and benefit toward everyone inside will distract the leaders. Things such as thievery and even mutiny can sometimes occur. Even cause total desperation in a few, making them turn on their allies…or even have them run out to their deaths from the safety of whatever they were hiding in."

"Of course, such a thing like this requires that whoever is surrounding them has enough of the most important component for the plan. And that is…patience. If you were to interfere at any point during this 'internal drama' part, then you'd might as well just throw the plan away because you add a whole new cluster of variables into the equation." He finishes, while gesturing he was throwing away an imagery piece of crumbled up paper.

"…and the Red Pha'sens have plenty of patience." The Ma'tnota lets out a small clicking noise in annoyance as he raises one of his claws to poke at his mandibles. His voice seems to help snap Crona out of tone, as he blinks his eyes and look up to the Ma'tnota nervously. "Huh…oh, uh…s-sorry. I didn't mean to go…on an entire tangent there. I-I'm so sorry."

The large beetle shakes its head at him. "Do not be. Your mother is wise to have taught you this, she did a remarkable job in raising you." It says before continuing to walk down the path it was leading them down. Crona just giving a glance to the side as he gives out a low '…yeeeeeeah…' as he follows along again.

" **Pfft, ain't that right. While other mother's worried about teaching their kids how to spell 'blue', his worried he wouldn't remember how to sever a person's tendon on each limb.** " Ragnarok said while giving a playful shrug at the teen. "…behind the foot, in front of the knee, stab-stab-stab so that they will all bleed. Now aim for the arm-"

" **Oh my god, I forgot she actually came up with a jiggle.** " Ragnarok shouts, with a notable grin forming on the bottom of his face as he hears Crona mumbling the song to himself. " **She actually looked proud when she came up with that. Didn't help she couldn't rhythm worth shit.** " Crona couldn't help but agree with Ragnarok there, having actually told the song to others and hearing the same criticism from it, especially when his hope found out it was Medusa that taught him it.

"…again, you two are quite strange." The Ma'tnota stares forward as he spoke, not seeming to fully grasp the two that were walking behind him. With the so called 'Mad Titan' seeming more to be a frighten lost child and his partner being something of a mystery all together.

" **Messed up part is that you are seeing us, on a good day.** " Ragnarok said in a completely honest tone, with Crona nodding along to it.

Putting aside their quirks, the Ma'tnota show they had reach what they needed to. "This is what I wanted you to do." The Ma'tnota says, with Crona and Ragnarok just now realizing that they have reached the edge of the village. Not far from them seem to be an entire field of what looked to be strange kind of plant life that appeared to be a cross of corn and wheat.

It stretched out for a mile wide, with a large part of it seeming to have been torn about, as one could tell with the remaining bits of plants that were left in the dirt. How something had managed to grow within this place underground and with little light confused Crona, but he passed it off as just another strange thing in this world.

The Ma'tnota raises a clawed hand to his jaw and lets out a loud cracking sound. Both Crona and Ragnarok flinch from the sudden volume, with Ragnarok mumbling how it was like a chainsaw and a blander had a child together.

Was not long after the noise, another insect made itself known. A smaller one that seemed to reach barely above Crona's chest level. It stepped out from the living field and looked to them while giving a low clicking noise. It looked to be a type of ant, with notable missing legs on it. Crona notice how it limbed as it came up to them.

"The Ma'tnota, how may I be of service?" It asks, as it gives a bow…as best it could, looking close to falling over. As it came back up to straighten itself, is sees the two travelers that came with its leader. "What are these things? They are not of our kind."

The Ma'tnota nods his head. "Indeed, you are right, farmer. These two are not of our kind, but they mean none of us harm…at least plead to be so…or rather…one does." He turns to look at Ragnarok, who had wander to the field behind the wounded ant and pulled down at one of the tall plants.

Crona's gauntletless hand, came up to cover his gray face as he notices this. " **Crona, they are straight up growing fucking popcorn here! Like it is seriously already popped!** " The black blood silhouette of the teen side as the top of his 'X' was straight upward in amazement. "Ragnarok, please don't eat that." He calls out, embarrassment in his voice as he rushes to partner's side to stop him.

"That one…is a bit of a problem. But they want to earn my trust, what better way…then to help you rebuild our villages food supply after the attack." The Ma'tnota spoke with the Ant as it came closer to it. Easily over hearing them, Crona and Ragnarok paused in their small struggle, with Crona being able to make the demon sword let go of the plant before he could shallow it whole.

"…I'm sorry, what?" He asks the Ma'tnota with a raised brow at the odd request of him. " **He wants us to be farmers...I…don't even have a retort for that, I'm with Crona…what?** " Ragnarok asks as he places a hand on his hips and tilted his head from confusion. They had expected a lot from the large insect, ranging from things such as a gladiator style arena to even being their next meal, but farming was never an idea that could come to them.

The ant begins to start clicking again, as it blinks its completely black eyes at the two. "I could use the extra hands." Ragnarok's smile returns as he points at the ant and says. " **Ha! I get it.** "

"Get what?" " **…the pun, you know…extra hands…you are missing…oh forget it.** " He says disappointingly, seeing that the job had easily thrown over the incest's head. "I got it." Crona offers, with a small smile, trying to help cheer Ragnarok up. " **You don't count.** " The Demon Sword says back bitterly.

The Ma'tnota places a claw on the Ant's shoulder. "This is Hijana. This one will help you and give you guidance. You are to give life to rest of this field; our people will ration the food till then. The Red Pha'sens will not strike again for some time, so you have plenty of time for it to grow till the next Sol'en."

" **Okay, I've been ignoring the made up bulshit words so far, but what the fuck is a Sol'en?! What is that? A week, a month, an hour?! How the fuck do you even tell time here? I don't see a giant clock around or anything.** " Ragnarok shouted, seeming to hate the bundle of new words he was hearing today. Before he could continue to speak out though, almost all the light inside the cave seem to have vanished, almost like that of a light switch being turned off.

"… **what the…** " "D-did…did it just become night?"

Both Crona and Ragnarok yelped in surprise, as the two quickly look around for what had happened. Seeing as if all the ground that had made up the dirt, and the cave walls and ceiling just…became nearly fully black, as if there was no light touching it at all. " **How?! Just…how?! I can still see the light from the holes in the damn ceiling!** " Ragnarok shouts, gesturing to the openings that remained at the top of the cave.

"These two are strange." Hijana mumbles lowly to its leader, with Ma'tnota lowering itself to the Ant's level to speak more privately among each other. "…They are…but…the larger one…the one with the gauntlet, is someone to pay close attention to. Make sure that his stay is comfortable, and that he is able to find some peace for himself while working. He seems…troubled by something." The Ma'tnota warns him with the Ant nodding his head at his leader's command.

The Ma'tnota then stood back to its full height, it's back wings spreading open as it called to get the two traveler's attention. "I will leave you in the care of the farmer, when the field becomes filled with life again…then you may come and speak to me about trust. Till then, I leave you to your duties." With that, he turns and walks away from them, leaving them alone with the Ant as it began lead them elsewhere.

" **Great…so instead of a task of his trying to kill ourselves in fighting those red…whatever he called them, we are gonna try and stop ourselves from killing each other out of boredom.** " Ragnarok moans as he rubs at the side of his head, as if to massage a headache from forming.

"I…don't know…farming, might seem nice." Crona tells him in a slightly nervous tone, while gripping his arm. Having grabbed it as soon as it realized how dark it had become all to suddenly. Ragnarok just moves his hand to cover his face and groans knowing that this was gonna be more of a challenge of his patience than anything else.


	5. POWER (p2)

Time as gone by for the pair that enter this village.

In that time, they had learned what they could about it. They learn that the cave seemed to run on its own clock. The ground itself taking in the light for such time, before it becomes too much and cask it aside, simulating night time.

Crona had become interested in this, though his talks with the farmer had not gone well. The old Ant just telling him it was something that happened since before his time and leaving it at that. Ragnarok couldn't careless as he just thought of it mainly as an annoyance, especially during their work with how sudden it is.

They had done what the Ma'tnota had told them. They assisted with the farmer in rebuilding his land as best they could. A very tedious work in Ragnarok's opinion. But it seems that a certain someone was enjoying themselves. "Ragnarok, what are you doing?"

The demon sword stops himself from planting another misshaped seed into the ground, taking a moment to take a deep breath and shake off the dirt that was on his shovel-shaped hand before he spoke. " **I'm planting a seed, you know…for the eighth hundredth time.** " He says bitterly as he turns his head to see Crona, who was currently using an old makeshift garden hoe get rid of the remains of the ruin plants and weeds that laid along the field. The Demon Sword tries not to roll his eyes as he sees Crona had placed the tool on the ground and was about to start annoying him again.

"You're just tossing them into the hole and throwing dirt on it." He says while giving an annoyed glare at the black blood copy of himself. " **That's how plants work. What, you want me to tuck it in and read it a bedtime story?** " This time Ragnarok did give a roll of his 'X' pupils. He thought it best to just ignore Crona as he shifts through the large bag of seeds he was forced to carry around.

Before he could continue working Crona stops him, having walked up and grab his arm. "No, I just want you to take it a bit more seriously. "Hijana told us that we need to embed the seed into the dirt, not just place it on it and throw more dirt on top of it!" Ragnarok turns his head slightly to the side, staring off at the village not too far from the field as he takes another deep breath.

" **What does it fucking matter? It's the same dirt, it's not like it changes much with how it's covered!** " He turns his head up and sees Crona was seeming more flustered with his face turning a bit gray. "Ugh, weren't you paying attention, he explained all of this to you!" He says as he crouches down to meet Ragnarok's eye-level with the Demon sword taking this chance to hit him with his shovel shaped hand. " **I fell asleep due to his boring ass and you know it!** "

"Ah-…Fine." Crona cries out as he grips the top of his head. Seeming angrier with being hit than it actually being hurt, of course. He places a hand on Ragnarok's chest and nudges himself away slightly. "Move, you can take the job of cleaning up the field and I'll plant the seeds instead."

Not needed to be told twice, Ragnarok had pick himself up and walked to the Garden Hoe that Crona left on the ground. " **Fine then, but don't get prickly with me JUST because I accidentally left a microscopic bit of a leaf behind!** "

"They don't even have leaves-" " **You know what I meant!** "

This had quickly become the norm between the two, both would decide a job to do in the morning with Ragnarok not preforming well enough to Crona's standards, and them ending up changing the jobs mid-way through. They had done much work as the field was half-way seeded, though it was easy to see that tension was easily ranging on for the two through these few days. Crona's mindset was that he wanted to truly earn the Ma'tnota's trust and gain the Infinity Gem as quickly as possible while Ragnarok was just wishing for them to leave this place.

When it became dark once more, the two would go inside the small house that was their current 'home'. The place looked as if to be a traditional farm home, with the main thing that stood out about it being the large ant that lived within it.

Hijana was the old ant's name, and it was currently inside the home, making food for them. It had been injured during the attack that happened at the village by the Red Pha'sens some time ago. Losing three of its limbs during it.

Since then it could only do so much work before it would need to rest for the day. It was not ungrateful for the two, offering to instead be the one to prepare meals for them and to teach some wisdom of the land. Crona took to it rather easily, absorbing all the Ant will tell him like a sponge, seeming to enjoy the work and looking forward to always do more, if asks he would say he find it relaxing somehow. Something Ragnarok did not agree with, as anyone can see.

Having to plow the field 'the oldest fashion way possible' had already killed any enthusiasm the black blood creature would ever have for the work. Which was close to none. Pair that with his usual attitude towards hard work, and anyone could guess he was no happy with what they needed to do.

It should not have come to the surprise of Crona when he hears Ragnarok throw down the garden hoe and shouts. " **Fuck this, I'm taking a break!** " The teen stops his own work, dropping his make-shift shovel as he looks behind and sees his partner was walking back to the house. "W-wait, what are you doing?!"

" **Taking a break, we've been going at it non-stop for probably days now and when we do stop its to either eat, sleep, or shit. I'm tired…and I need a break.** " The Demon Sword says as he steps along the house's porch and takes a seat on it while giving out a loud sigh. Crona picking himself off the ground and walks up to his partner.

"B-but, the work is still gonna be here when you are off your break. You can rest when we need to sleep later." He tries to be reasonable, only for the Demon sword to grab him by the front of his 'new' cloak and pull him down to his eye-level.

The silhouette of teen just glared right at him with his inhuman eyes " **…Crona…I'm tired, I want to rest…you can either join me…or fuck off.** " He made it as clear as possible what was gonna happen, so with much reluctance, Crona gives out a sigh and takes a seat right next to his partner.

They both would look out to their work, seeing that they had most of the field now planted with the seeds for new life. The village, not being far away, allowed them to see the other insects preforming their usual tasks that the two saw them do.

Some would play with their children, some would speak to each other, some would be either fixing the homes they lived in or making another. Some of them would see the two working and give a friendly wave, just like now. It was one with its child, both being ladybugs. The smaller of the two gave an excited wave at them. Cheering to its mother about seeing the two 'travelers'.

Crona gives a small awkward wave back, while Ragnarok proceeds to 'flip the bird' at them. His excuse always being that 'it wasn't like they knew what it meant', and it was just funnier to do so. When the two ladybugs left their sight, Ragnarok lends his head back and groans out. " **God, I feel like I'm gonna melt.** "

"It's just the humidity getting to you." Crona tells him, noticing that the Ragnarok was reaching into nearby bag, something that the farmer left for them. "With the desert on top of us, and with little to no wind at all down here, it just feels like its way hotter than it actually is."

" **No shit.** " Ragnarok mumbles as he pulls out their drinks, of all the things to survive the world many endings events in the last two thousand years, plastic jars were apparently one of them. Something Ragnarok would comment as a 'suck it Hippies' for whatever reason Crona couldn't make sense of. It was not like the container matter; the problem was with what was inside.

Each jar held murky water inside, found from the steam that ran on the other side of town.

The water was obviously dirty, and was awful to the taste, but it was better than not having anything at all. Ragnarok chugged his down without any hesitation, making Crona wonder once more if he really did have any taste buds at all. " **How long you think it'll be before we could be done?** " Ragnarok says while putting his jar back into the bag.

Crona takes a much calmer sip from his own as he tries to think. Forcing himself to shallow down the awful taste it had. He was thankful for his strong immune system that prevented him from being sick, but it did not help with the taste "Ugh…gross…Maybe after three more times, if we don't take another brea-" He pauses mid-explanation as he sees Ragnarok was giving him a certain look. Telling Crona they were gonna be taking a lot breaks now. "…four or five more at most."

They would work from the moment the lights turned off, to when it was off. The hardest part of plowing the field was already done, which took much time due to relying on simple sticks they found on the ground and fixing any mistakes they could have made, as well as when the Farmer would tell them they messed up somehow.

" **Yeah, that's what I thought I heard.** " Ragnarok told him, seeming satisfied that he could still somewhat make Crona do what he wanted, before his attention turns to behind them at the house they were sitting in front of. He smells the air for a bit, noticing a faint aroma coming from inside. " **…old guy is making that soup again, fucking awesome. Who knew ants knew how to cook?** " His tone turned from bitter, to…pleased. Something Crona noticed, but he just placed that as Ragnarok's love of food.

"I don't think anyone did. They were just…bugs after all." He says, taking another sip of his jar and having to force down another amount of dirt flavored water. " **Well they are badasses, that is for sure.** " Ragnarok chuckles out, before he looks back ahead of them. The top of his 'X' suddenly becoming more horizontal as he asks. " **…he's gonna be fine, right?** "

Seeing the confuse look Crona held on his face, Ragnarok groans through is teeth. " **Err…The old bastard, I'm asking you if he's gonna be fine after we finish all this shit.** " He asks, annoyed as he has too clarified what I meant. Giving a small 'ohhh' sound of realization, Crona gives a small cough as he looks off to the side. "…I don't know, I don't really know a lot about bugs."

Ragnarok moves a hand up to smack at the back of Crona's head. " **Oh for fuck sakes, I am just asking-** " But before he could even touch the pink haired teen, Crona spoke in the most honest tone he had. "Probably is gonna die soon."

The small sentence was more than enough to make Ragnarok pause. Something Crona noticed very easily as he glanced over to look at Ragnarok's reaction. "He's gonna die, very soon. Maybe before we leave too." He watches as the black blood version of himself looked completely taken-a-back before he turns to look back into the house where the old ant was inside.

"… **are you serious?** " Concern showed in his voice, a tone that Crona knew Ragnarok would usual try his best to hide. "Well…yeah, I mean…he's old and weak, and if the village's enemy's attack his crops again, especially seeing that the village is trying to replant what they lost, they are gonna kill the farmer for sure this time. Most likely by severing all his limbs just to be cruel." Crona leans away slightly and dodges a punch that was aimed for his face.

But that also didn't stop Ragnarok from leaning closer and still slapping his shoulder as hard as he could. " **Can you fucking not say shit like that! My god man, that is fucked up.** " Of course, the hit was little more than a light breeze than an actual punch, but the fact he still would hit him, for as much as he knows, no reason bothered the teen. After all, Ragnarok stopped doing such a thing ever since he could form his own body.

"I am only being factual. Hijana told us that the Red Pha'sens are sadistic creatures with a horrible sense of humor. It would be fitting of their nature to do such a thing after he survived their last attack." He said, while shrugging slightly. Looking baffled by the anger look Ragnarok was directing at him.

" **Yeah, but you don't fucking say it out loud like that!** " Ragnarok groans out as he rolls the 'X' that form his pupils and places a hand over his face. "I'm…sorry…why are you getting upset?" Crona asks, with Ragnarok pulling his hand away as it was his turn to look confuse now. " **Why am I…why aren't you? Aren't you supposed to be the nice one, you look like you don't give a rat's ass what happens to him.** "

Being slightly familiar with Ragnarok's referring a rat's backside, Crona just tries to answer him as best he could. "It's not that I don't care for him-" " **You fucking sound like you don't!** " The teen just gives a sigh at Ragnarok's outburst. He moves gauntlet hand up to grip his arm. "It's just…I am just being realistic. They are gonna attack again in some time, and Hijana would either be killed by them or already be dead because of his existing injury. It is just gonna happen. Probably many other villagers would die to during the attack. Depending on which direction of the village they wish to attack from, personally I would c-"

An open palm slamming upside his head had silence him. " **Fuck sakes man. I can't believe 'I' have to be the one to explain to you, why that is kinda fucked up!** " Ragnarok shouts as he stands up from his rage and runs a hand through his along what made up his 'hair'. Grumbling something under his breath that Crona couldn't make out as he walked away from the porch, as if trying to cool himself off by moving.

He was pacing himself back and forth along the front of the house as Crona calls out to him, beginning to seem annoy with his partners sudden attitude towards him. "Ragnarok, why are you getting so mad? It's…it's not like any of them matter."

That causes the black blood creature to pause mid-step before he slowly turns back to face Crona, with an almost horrified look on his face, not from fear but from pure disdain. " **What did you just say?** " Ragnarok spoke out, as he slowly walks back to Crona. As if to make sure he heard the teen clearly.

"None of them matter. They're all just gonna die out soon as it is. Say the Red Pha'sens' attack right after we leave…Ma'tnota is one of the beings that does not fully understand his Infinity Gem, he doesn't know its full power, as far as he knows it's just a glorified flashlight on his head, if he didn't think that then he wouldn't be so willing to give it to us! And once he does give it to us, he'll most likely be powerless to stop the Red Pha'sens and will be killed along with the rest of the villagers. Or they would be sent running from their home and would die in the desert outside the cave."

The black blood version of himself, steps up in front of him, waving his hands around each other as if it were to help visualize a certain thought. " **…and you do not find the idea of taking, pretty much, their only defense away from them…** " He says before throwing his arms out to the air while proclaiming. " **…kinda messed up?!** "

Crona stands up from his seat on the porch and stares down at his silhouette. "That is THEIR problem. Not ours." He spoke so coldly, with such a cruel tone that Ragnarok had to take a step back in shock. He takes a moment to look over Crona, looking along his body for a moment as if trying to recognize who he was talking too.

The clothing was different, as he still wore the pants that Erika gave him and was now wearing an old cloak that covered his torso and a bit of his arms, and he may have gotten taller with longer hair now reaching a bit pass his chin, but it was still the shy kid he always knew that was horrified by killing a simple rabbit. Yet hearing those words were really unlike him.

It wasn't the first time he started acting strangely, but that was with Kid and Eruka, those who tried to kill him. The Demon Sword figured that maybe when he was apparently in his long nap that Crona finally grew that 'backbone'. But this, worried him. " **…Unfucking believable. I seriously can't believe I am hearing this, from YOU of all people! My god, are you even listening to yourself!?** " Ragnarok questions as he looks back up to Crona, wondering what was going on in the pink haired teen's head.

"What do you want me to do? We need that gem! I am doing a lot by staying here and doing this. The Gems are out there and…if this 'God Slayer' told the Ma'tnota about me…then there is a large chance he told the other wielders as well." Crona tried to be honest, trying again to use logic on his side. He knew exactly what someone can do with enough prep time, especially in the cases where they had Infinity Gems of their own.

And for those that knew how to wield them.

He worried what would happen if they are given enough time to master them. But it seems Ragnarok does not have those worries. " **You said that you knew the location of all of them!** " He shouts, while poking a finger at Crona's chest. "And I do! But…that doesn't help me with some of them. I…I only know a bit about some of the wielders but the one I know plenty of is…dangerous. We need to have the Power Gem if we want a chance to-"

Crona braces himself, right before Ragnarok shoves him as hard as he could, resulting in the Demon Sword actually pushing himself back a bit instead. " **Bullshit! News flash…you don't need the 'Power'…you told me that one of these things controlled all 'Time', right?! That's the one we should be worrying about! Time is EVERYTHING we should worry about. Didn't you say that they hold infinite power!? I'm pretty sure with that, we get back to our time and…I don't fucking know, stab Medusa before she can make us awaken that three-eye asshole! BOOM, no more need for the rest! We can get back to our normal lives.** " Ragnarok shouts as he childishly gesturing his hands the whole time.

Crona holds his gauntlet hand to his face, grinding his teeth together as he tries to hold his frustration back. "I can't do that Ragnarok…there is just som-" He couldn't finish as Ragnarok grabs him by the front of his cloak and pulls him closer. " **…Can't or won't?! Cause to me, it sounds like you got a taste of that fucking jewel in your arm, and you just can't help but be a selfish little fuck!** "

That single comment managed to make Crona pause for a moment, his jaw hanging slightly as he takes in what was said. "I…I'm not selfish." He tries to plead before Ragnarok just tosses him to the side off the house's porch, throwing Crona's balance off slightly but not enough for him to fall to the floor.

" **YES, YOU ARE! You've always been! You get a little taste of something you like, and you don't give a damn about anything else. Just like when you decided to bend over and let the DWMA keep us in that damn cage.** " Crona stands himself up straight…and slowly turns to face Ragnarok again. He knew exactly the direction this argument was headed.

It was one they had done, over and over for days when Crona had first join the DWMA. "…we are seriously having this argument, again!?"

With a simple toss of his arms out in the air and a large tooth-filled grin forming on his face, Ragnarok snarls out. " **Why not!? It's two thousand years overdue at this point!** "

"You cannot be mad over me wanting to have a better life!" Crona begins to shout back, matching Ragnarok's in volume now. He was already tired of their current argument, bringing up an older one did nothing to help. But Ragnarok would not let up, his voice raised even further, sounding to become higher in both volume and pitch. " **And who the fuck said I was, then again who the fuck cares about what I think!? Oh right, NO ONE CARES WHAT RAGNAROK THINKS! But as soon as Crona gets a little weepy-eye, suddenly everyone listens! Newsflash dickwad, I didn't want to work with the DWMA, I didn't want to stop working for Medusa, I didn't want to stop eating human souls, and I swear to any fucking god left on this shitheap of a planet…that even though I was probably either just as mindfuck-y crazy as you were…I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SEAL IN THE GOD-DAMN MOON!** "

Crona takes a step back as the black blood version of himself let out every bit of his rage at the end, being forced to cover his ears as Ragnarok's sheer voice had picked up to the screaming tone only used in his weapon form. The loud piercing sound easily is heard and the insects of the village all stop their usual tasks as they all begin to see the two travelers were arguing with each other.

Neither of the two seem to notice them, Crona having to keep his hands cover his after the sudden rush of pain through them and Ragnarok was still wanting to scream more, as he felt that it was time to 'set the record straight' about exactly how things were for him. " **But it's never about what I want. It's always you. You're the one they made friends with, you're the one they all pity, you're the one that they thought could be an actual human being…but I know the real you! You are selfish…you're pathetic…and you never gave a shit about anyone but yourself.** " Ragnarok stomps forward and presses a finger right to the side of Crona's head. His voice was dripping with venom as he spoke. " **I know that fucked up head of yours better than anyone…so much so, I can say that the reason you want so badly to go back to her…is not because you 'miss her' or some puke filling lovey douvy shit like that. The real reason why, is because you can't deal with the idea of just moving on with your life!** "

He shoves the side of Crona's head and makes the teen stagger back again, his tone changing from sheer rage to just annoyance. " **Boo-hoo…everyone feel bad for me. My mommy hurt me, brainwashed me, tortured me, wind-me-up like a little toy, and made me into a near unstoppable killing machine.** " He steps toward Crona and leans as close he could to the teens face and says in a low harsh tone. " **…Cry…me…a…fucking river.** "

With that, Ragnarok pushes past Crona and walks back to retrieve the garden hoe he had thrown on the ground earlier. With Crona not immediately reacting due to Ragnarok's words having struck him in ways far worse than any punch he could have thrown. Though his ears did ring a bit, all of Ragnarok's words still rang through. Shaking his head to get rid of the pain, he calls out to his partner. "…You're right. About a lot of it." Crona said in a somber tone, his eyes were looking downward to the ground. Having started to do so at the beginning of Ragnarok's rant. He could only hear the Demon Sword give out a scoff as he picks back up the garden tool and continues to work.

Turning around to look at him, Crona continues to speak out. "No Ragnarok. I mean it. I…I am selfish. But…No. I need these gems, all of them. You are right, I didn't think about what you want…but I'm sure that you don't want THIS world. We…I…need to make sure it doesn't happen again. The Infinity Well…showed me that after we were sealed away…a…a lot of bad stuff started to happen. That what I did…didn't matter. Cause everything would have died anyway." Crona closes his eyes for a moment as he remembers what he saw, who he saw in the well and how her life was ended in such a grim fashion.

"…Maka died…everyone was dying…i-if…if I have all the gems, I can make it so that none of THIS…could ever happen…I could end everyone's suffering with just a simple snap of my fingers! I could be a…with that much power I will be a…I will be God." As he spoke, he lost more of his tempted voice, sound more assure of himself with each word said.

But when he opens his eyes sees Ragnarok had turn back to look at him. Any self-assurance he had seemed to crumble back from where it came from as he saw the look the black blood version of himself had.

Even with little to no movement on his face, Crona could see what the look Ragnarok gave him implied. It was utter disbelief at what he was hearing. At what he had said. The Demon Sword look generally lost for words. He turns his head…looking to the grown field, then back to Crona…then to the villagers that gathered to see them, then back to Crona…but even as time passed…no words came.

Without a single word, Ragnarok continued to work. The villagers returned to their home, loud mumbling being heard among the crowd upon seeing the two travelers get into such a heated argument. Crona stayed by the porch, shocked at…Ragnarok's lack of a response.

He always had something to say. Even just babbling words…it was something. A rude comment, a random dirty word, or an insult. But to respond with nothing…that is what got to the teen. Not knowing what to do…Crona did the same as Ragnarok. He walked back to where he left the bag of seeds and shovel…and began planting again.

The only sound coming from the field just being their tools hitting the ground for a long while, till the light around them disappeared and they were called back inside by the Hijana. By then Crona expected something, anything to be said back to him…but even then Ragnarok didn't say a word to him as they walked inside.

Not even turning to look at him.

Stepping into what was once a living room, now made into a makeshift kitchen, Hijana, the old ant, was trying to pull a large pot from fireplace that looked just one shove away from falling off the metal hook that hanged it over the fire.

Without a word, Ragnarok helped him, easily pulling it aside and allowing the old ant to not burn himself on accident. "Ah, thank you my friend. Hope you are eager for-"

" **Not hungry. I'm going to bed early.** " Crona's eyes widen at that. Two words he never thought he hear Ragnarok say together was just casually thrown out right in front of him. His fears became worst, watching as the Demon sword just ignore an entire pot of warm fresh food and instead walk down the hall to an isolate door that lead to their shared room, and slamming it shut behind him.

Crona slowly raises his non-covered gauntlet fist up and begins to enviously mumble into it as to what could be happening to Ragnarok. If what he said had really offended the Black blood creature. He thought if anything Ragnarok would love the new mindset he had, that he would be happy Crona was trying to get away from this village as quickly as possible.

He had no idea how to deal with this sudden change and was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't noise the old ant limping to his side…and uses one of the burning pieces of wood from the fireplace to poke him. "AH!" Crona cries out, while hopping a bit from some shock as a he felt the sudden jolt of pain at his side and then sees it was the ant's doing, with it giving him a disappointed look.

"Alright, fess up. What did you do?" He asks with such a knowing tone, that just made Crona want to hide back in the corner like he used to. "I didn't…well…I may have…made him upset." Crona tells him as he takes the burning piece of wood from the old ant and toss it into the fire. He could already tell that this was not gonna go well for him as he hears the old ant give a few clicking noises as it walks back to the pot and struggles to pick it up.

"I could-…er…have told you that, what I ask was…ehe…what did you do?" Hijana asks as he takes the pot and slowly carries it to the other side of the room to let it hang off a hook it had suspended from the ceiling. Crona doesn't answer it at first, instead choosing to watch the old ant as he had taken a seat by the fire with his knees pressed up against his chest.

It limped along the room, showing its age and how the loss of several limbs cost its mobility. Moving around its own home with little grace and so weakly that a strong enough breeze would knock it over.

This was all the farmer could do for them really. During the first 'days' they were here, the ant would come out with them and direct exactly what they needed to do. Sometimes even stopping them from working so that it could 'show them how it was supposed to be done'. But it became obvious that it couldn't do more than a few minutes of work, at best, without seeming to almost fall over on itself.

Crona couldn't help but realize a pattern he didn't focus on before, the last few 'days' they were here. With how Ragnarok had been acting, mainly towards the old ant. He remembers back to when it would come outside and get tired, Ragnarok would then start to shout at it to go back inside, or in one case even picking up the small creature and carrying back within the home so it could rest.

He remembers asking him, why would he do such a thing and Ragnarok's reasoning was that he didn't want to spend longer here having to bury the old bug. Now he wasn't sure. It was just so unlike him to be so…

'Caring'.

Before Crona could think further on this, he felt another poke at his side. This time it was Hijana handing him a bowl, filled with the soup it spent all day making. Crona tries to reach for it, but the old ant quickly pulls the bowl away as it says. "Come on…I ask you a question, it is only fair you answer."

Giving a sigh Crona looks back to the floor. "…we got into an argument." He admitted bitterly, annoyed that this simple thing was causing such unneeded drama. "Was it how to pronoun our names again?" Hijana asks, with a tilt of its head. Having already seen how often the two would bicker at one another by now to the point that it believes they didn't know any other way to speak to each other.

With Crona giving a firm 'No', Hijana lets out more clicking as it hands him the bowl and goes to pour its own. "Then what was it child? Certainly, must have been something to make your partner not wish to eat with us. Usually I have to keep him from eating it all." He says as he fills his own bowl…or rather not his own as the old ant was limping towards the door that Ragnarok went into.

"He's not gonna take it." Crona tries to tell him, but the old Ant just ignored him as it opens the door to the room and places the bowl on the floor by the doorway. "I spent too long making this, the least you can do is at least look at it." The old ant calls inside, before closing the door behind him and walking back to Crona's side, slowly lowering itself to its own sitting position by the teen. "I am still waiting for an answer child."

Crona was shocked at how casual the ant acted, and when questioned the teen couldn't help but look to the floor fearfully. He did not know how the ant would react with the topic he and Ragnarok fought over, telling it the whole truth could only lead to disaster due to him having to explain the Infinity Gem that was their only defense from their enemy.

He would have to settle for how the conversation started then, rather than the whole thing. But even then Crona was a bit reluctant to do so, especially seeing as how Ragnarok reacted. But the old ant was easily breaking him down with the disappointing look. So Crona answers him, with his voice barely above a whisper. "I told him that you were gonna die soon."

It was loud enough for Hijana to hear, and the old ant reacted…

Differently then Crona would expect.

"…and…you're point?" It asks while tilting its head slightly, seeming confused by the statement rather angered as Crona thought he would be.

"S-see! That's what I don't understand, I was just stating the obvious but…he would…just…" Crona stops as he brings his hands up to both sides of his head and gives a low sigh of frustration. "It's weird to see him act like this, and I don't get it…he never cared before. What is so different now?" He mumbles at the end while moving to gauntlet over his right arm and grips it.

A habit that Hijana had known him to do a lot by now.

The old ant raises one of its legs up to its head, as if to mimic the teen. "I'm sorry, but I do not have the answer to that. You've known him longer than I have, right?" It asks, removing it's leg from its head as Crona removes his hands from his own.

"…pretty much…my whole life." Crona tells him, in an honest tone. Remembering back to the day the two first met, with him being at such a young age that he couldn't even remember what it felt like to have his back burst open for the first time. To suddenly met some creature that lived in his body.

His mind wanders for a bit as he recalls the small bit of peace he had at the DWMA, whenever Ragnarok would form out of different places, how startled others would be. One time he spooked poor Tsubaki by exploding out of his chest and hissing like some reptile monster.

They would think it was strange how if the black blood creature could form out of any place of his body. Arms, his legs, even from the top of his head. The back was just the most comfortable, and easier for Crona to carry the sudden change of weight. None of them would understand.

Even his Hope thought it was weird. For Crona though, it was just how he lived his whole life.

The fact the teen could no longer always hear the Demon Sword's voice in his head or feel him shifting around in his body is the actual strange thing he still hasn't gotten use to. Now the creature, his partner, was in the other room. Being separated from him.

Crona didn't know how to deal such a lack of 'weight' at times.

"I see…well, from what I've seen of him…he is a childish, loud, and somewhat irritating person to be around. He likes my cooking though, and he seems to still be by your side even after all you two seemed to have been through." Hijana spoke, pausing for a moment to watch how Crona would react.

It sees the teen lightly blow on his soup to cool it a bit, while also pausing to speak. "A lot of that wasn't by choice." When the pinked hair boy thought the soup was cold enough, he began to drink it. Though he was doing it very slowly. Even with the chopped bits of fruits that were in the bowl, he would just use his hands to hold them up and take little bits of them.

Either he was trying to savor the taste, or he was not used to eating alot. Something that did concern the old ant, as he knew he feed the teen well enough, or at least hoped so. There was also another thing.

He was easily distracted, as his eyes would wander back to the room his partner was in. With a concern look in his eyes speaking in much louder volumes then his voice.

"Nevertheless, he stayed. Why would the idea of my death drive this much of a stake between you both?" Hijana asks, just as Crona finishes a third of the bowls content. He pulls himself back a bit as Crona roughly places the bowl down and he stands up to his feet. "Because Ragnarok just doesn't get what we need to do, what I need to do…I…I have a chance to fix what is broken, but he just won't let me…like he thinks he knows better, but he doesn't!"

Crona shouts, a part of him knew there was no point to do so, but the teen just wanted to shout at this point. Remembering back to the look Ragnarok gave him was just…sickening for him. "We have been through a lot together…so much and yet…he doesn't trust me. What is wrong with him?!" At the end, Crona begins up both his hands and clutches at his head in frustration again. "I-It is because I am not good enough, i-is it b-because he…h-he knows me 'too' well? Am I wrong!? I-I…I-"

His voice begins to dissolve into a mess of stutters and mumbles, as his eyes become widen with fear and paranoia. His whole body starts to shake as sweat shows on his brow. The boy was taking quick pace breaths and seemed close to falling to his knees from pure panic going through his body. Only when he feels a touch on his arm does he stop…and notices that Hijana was trying to comfort him by placing one of its legs onto him.

"Trust is a difficult thing, that much I know. The Ma'tnota saw fit to give much to both of you to help me replant this field. And I give it to you with my lessons, while I am forced to stay in here. But…it's not easily given by others. Do you have a history of misusing that trust?"

The old ant had not known what it asked of him, if it had, it would have known that was a poor question to ask.

It sees Crona's face twist from panic to terror, as the teen remembers back to exactly a certain night where he had broken the trust of his hope her and friends. His breathing becomes sharpen as his eyes glare at the floor. His fingers dig into the side of his head, with the Soul Gem on the gauntlet beginning to glow in responds.

He could almost hear his mother's voice speak to him, calling out to him. Much like it did that night when she suddenly appeared and made one small request that crumbled any control he had…

"Ah…that you do." Hijana called out, unflinching as the glow of the infinity gem shines at its face. It didn't care for the unknown power that was being shown…all it saw was a young child looking regretful for what he had done. With what strength it had, the old ant grabs Crona's gauntlet hand and tries to pry metal covered hand off teen's head so that he didn't hurt himself.

The Infinity Gem also seemed to glow even brighter at that…and suddenly it was as if something came to the old ant's mind. "…she still trusted you in the end." It spoke without control, before staggering back a bit as it felt a rush go through its body, that was unlike anything the insect had felt before.

It was barely able to catch himself, were it not for Crona's hand almost instantly grabbing at the leg that was previously touching him earlier. Though the gesture seemed from kindness, the grip told a different story, as the old ant had to hold itself from grunting in pain at the teen's tight hold.

"…what did you just say?" Crona asks with his voice almost changing instantly to one that should not belong to a boy like him. Not the one that eagerly listen to the old ant's lessons, who turned gray with embarrassed by the jokes his partner would give. That was shared with the soft touch he would usually have.

This voice was one was not the of the same person. It was one that fitted with the golden gauntlet the child wore on his arm. Cold, firm, and unmerciful.

Hijana looks up to its captives' blue eyes that stared directly back at it, causing such a feeling of fear to creep in the old ant that it didn't know it could feel. Though he remembers clearly how it had felt to be on the floor, of his ruined field, having his limbs ripped off him by brutal Red Pha'sens, that old fear seemed to be dwarfed by this new one.

Like it was staring back at a creature of death unlike anything it had seen before.

The ant did not understand what it had done to cause this change in the teen but tries to answer as best it could. "I don't know…felt like I needed to say that. Please, release me…you're hurting me, my child." Crona leans close to the ant's face, with his eyes seeming to grow more spiteful. "I…am…NOT your child." Though he talked low, his voice was clear with how displeased he was. "I am nothing to you…just as you are nothing to me."

No glance of mercy was shown, not a hint of comfort. Hijana tries to pull itself free, but it was as if it were pinned under a mountain. The amount of strain it felt was enough to make it think the time had come for it to lose another limb.

"Yes, I apologize, I didn't mean to upset you." It cries out as it stops pulling, its body beginning to shake as it sees Crona's eyes narrow at it and bared his teeth in disgust. For a moment it thought Crona would take its limb as payment for angering him…only for the teen to shove the limb aside and release his grip. "Take steps to make sure you don't do so again." Crona tells it as he turns to stare at the fireplace once more.

Hijana did not know what to make of what just happened. The usual gentle child displayed such a turn that the old ant didn't know what exactly it did to anger him. But it did know not to do so again. Fearfully, it looked to the limb that Crona held so tightly. It saw that just with his raw strength alone the child was able to creak and bend the exoskeleton that covered the leg. A feat only managed by the Red Pha'sens' weapons and the Ma'tnota itself.

It remembers back to what its leader had told it, about Crona's nature. The teen was truly troubled. Anger was held deeply within him, not one of fire but one that was cold. Distant, and spiteful. The most fearful kind of rage, that is born from pain and much regret.

The old ant's mandibles give a low clicking noise as he pulls himself away from the teen as best it could while nursing its arm. "I…am sorry, so sorry, Crona…I had not thought this topic was so…sensitive for you." It hated itself for allowing fear to be heard in its voice, it didn't want to fear Crona. It wanted to tell him, it was genuinely sorry for making him remember what he had done. It sees that Crona didn't even bother to look back to it as the ant spoke. Just slowly nodding his head. "You…must have deep regret for your past, and I am truly sorry for bringing it up."

A low scuff escapes the teen's lips. "Regret…yes, that is something I have more than plenty of. Every single moment I spend in my thoughts, I feel it haunt me." Crona says in a low whisper as he drifts back into his memories again to the last time he saw her, to the last time he felt her touch, heard her voice, felt her soul. She trusted him. She had placed her hope in him. Just as she would come back to him, that he would wait for her.

But she never came.

Because he was not there to protect her.

Taking a deep breath, Crona sits back down and picks up his bowl to continue eating from it. Not even caring to look back to the old ant that he had harmed as his mind just continued to rummage through memories of better times.

The soup was made with ingredients such as the dirty water that he previous drank, but not it was given some things to help the taste and made it more barrable, such as chopped up old vegetation that floated in the bowl.

Though he ate his food at a steady pace, it seemed obvious that his attention was elsewhere. He would sometimes pause mid-chew and just stare at the bowl for a few moments before resuming as if nothing happened.

Hijana could see this very easily, and though it was harmed by the teen in such a crude fashion, it could not bring itself to hate him for that. What was there, was a feeling of sympathy for the poor child.

"About what you and your partner spoke of…I'm old, beaten, and quite frankly…tired. Of course, the fact that I'm gonna die soon is obvious. But there are many that do not wish to think of that. You are young still. You shouldn't be thinking of such a thing as death. It's not like you can see such a thing coming…it could happen at any moment. You need to find peace with yourself before that time."

It slowly turns and begins to leave back to its own room, wanting nothing more than to leave before it would anger the teen again. As it reaches the doorway, it passes one last glance at Crona. Seeing he was still sitting in the same spot as he took another small sip of his soup.

"I beg you to get some rest, we have much work that needs to be done. They will be ripe for consumption tomorrow." He says referring to the plants outside the house, before he goes inside his room. Leaving Crona alone with the fire that was beginning to go out on its own.

Crona places the bowl down on the floor, and just continues to stare at the small flames for a little while longer as he began to think. Ideas were surfacing in his mind, about the power he wielded with that of a soul. The power to manipulate all that lives.

All that breaths. All that grows.

Crona raises his gauntlet hand up, and his eye briefly turn to green Infinity Gem in the middle of it. Watching as it began to glow with power once more. He turns it so that his palm was facing him…and looks back at the fire as he closes his hand to a fist.

…and the flames grow, bringing light to the entire room once more as if the flames never began to dull.

And then Crona slowly opens his hand, allowing the flames to shrink back down, to the point of becoming just mere embers. "Most…do not have the power of infinity to tell them how long someone has till they die." He mumbles as he recalls what Hijana had told him, before he stands up and snaps his gauntlet fingers.

Snuffing the embers…and leaving him in total darkness.

The next 'morning' came with the Crona being the first one to leave the house as he resumes his task to plant the seeds for the field, working twice as he usually as best he could. He was soon joined by both Ragnarok and Hijana, the two seeming to be in a middle of a conversation with Ragnarok just waving off whatever was told to him in his usual offhanded style.

When the Demon sword looked to Crona, all he could give out was a low annoyed groan, before continuing to ignore the teen. Hijana tells them that the corn-like plant, called 'Bonto'no', was ripe and ready to be eaten but try as it might, the old ant was not able to pick much of the newly fresh vegetation alone without nearly falling over due weak body.

Ragnarok was quick to help it though, easily able to pull the plants down so that that the old ant could pluck the strange vegetables loose and place them in a large bucket in Demon Sword's grip. Crona had held back a comment of making sure Ragnarok didn't try to hoard it all for himself.

There was no need for it, as Ragnarok made no move to even grab some for himself while Hijana wasn't looking. He was keeping himself behaved, more than Crona ever saw him act before. It almost…

It almost annoyed Crona how different his partner was acting towards the old ant. He wonders just what it was about the old ant that made Ragnarok act so differently. So much different than what he used to be towards the teen his whole life.

Crona shakes his head to try and get rid of the childish emotion. Of all things he could be jealous by, Ragnarok kindness shouldn't be one of them.

With the bucket being filled to the brim with the strange vegetables, Hijana left to spread word to the Ma'tnota on their harvest. When the old ant was out of sight, Ragnarok gave a sigh and walked back to where he had placed the garden hoe the day before. Crona opens his mouth to say something for a moment, to maybe make a joke about him stealing the food.

But thought against it. It was more than obvious that Ragnarok was still angry at him, joking about something could only make it worst. "Probably wouldn't even be that funny." He mumbles quietly under his breath as he begins to dig up another hole with his make-shift trowel, he thought to use his gauntlet for such a task…

But then quickly realized that getting dirt on the gem that holds the power of infinity would be a poor idea on his part. He wonders for a moment just how much more he could use it. He learned a lot about souls, thanks to both Medusa's teachings and his short time as a student in the DWMA.

But in truth they knew next to nothing.

The Soul Gem on the other hand, was a much better teacher. Taught him things that probably no one, save maybe a reaper, would know about souls. Crona takes one of the strange seeds he is supposed to plant and looks at it as his Soul Gem begin to glow in a low light.

There was a soul there. It was tiny, barely anything of significant. Looking at it is like that of the dreaded saying, 'a needle in a haystack'.

Unbelievability difficult, but not completely impossible. Especially when given the tool to help locate it.

The Soul Gem had the power to do much, even with so little.

Making it very possible to give something strength, to give it the ability to grow. He had the means to do such a thing, he just needed a little more time to learn how. The flames were…simpler. They wanted to grow, to consume more. But a plant is much harder, more complex. It'll take him longer to-

"… **Be God huh…pfft.** " Crona's thoughts were stop upon hearing the Demon Sword's voice directed at him. He turns around and sees Ragnarok was not too far behind him, using the garden hoe the teen made to removes some old roots in the ground. "You have something to say to that?" Crona asks him as he stands up from the ground, the Soul Gem glow dying down to normal as he spoke. He knew Ragnarok was referring to the last conversation they had, and he also knew that it might end just as bad as it did before.

The idea of 'getting it over it' seem the best thing to do right now.

Ragnarok shakes his head a bit as he was chuckling under his breath **.** " **Heh…plenty, just don't know where to start.** " He says before he stabs the garden hoe into the dirt and turns to face his partner, while running a hand downward over his face and resting it on his chin. He looked to be in thought about something. "… **You know what my name translates too, Crona?** " His tone seemed somber, sounding subdue then he normally would.

"…the beginning of the end." Crona answers, remembering what Medusa had told him about his partner when they first met. The name being one of the only questions she would answer about him. " **Not exactly, I mean, you're kinda close.** " Ragnarok admits, while removing his hand from his chin and giving a dismissive wave with it. " **And I can get why people would think it means something like that. But the actual translation is…and I quote 'the doom of the Gods'.** "

He gives out a scoff as he lets go of the garden hoe and crosses his arms. Though he was a bit reluctant to stop working again, Crona was more than happy to let them have another 'break' if it meant they were talking again.

" **See, believe it or not…I've met gods, plenty of them. This was…shit, years…like…seriously, fucking years ago. I'm talking like…hundreds of thousands of years…shit maybe more, it's kinda hard to keep track of it.** " Ragnarok says, picking up a hand and knocking it on his head while his eyes looked off to the side as he tries to recount all the time passed.

"What do you mean?" Crona asks as he grips his arm with his gauntlet hand. Watching as Ragnarok gave a low hum as he continues to think back. " **Ehhh…Look, I've been agreeing to help out with this shit…with these gems of infinity… and all the stuff we've seen…all the things we've been through and I never…I never really explain just who I am to you. Hell, I barely know how to explain it…** " He mumbles as he begins to rub at his temples with both his hands. Crona tries to tell him that he didn't need to tell him anything, but before he could, Ragnarok blurs out. " **Guess the easiest way to do so is with the true; it's fucking pointless what you're doing.** "

Before Crona could even question that, Ragnarok had quickly thrown his hands up right in front of him in a defensive way. " **Hear me out before you start talking my ear off with your usual crap. Okay so…I've lived a long time. Or maybe I've been living very long…in like a loop-AH! See, even I don't really fucking know.** " In frustration Ragnarok turns around and begins to roughly run his hands along his head.

Crona holds a bewildered face as he tries to understand what Ragnarok was saying. With him apparently being very old, with it somehow involving a loop. There were some obvious holes that needed filling. As if knowing how confuse the teen must be, Ragnarok turns back around to face Crona again and says. " **Look, I…I think I'm over complicating it. Let me take it from the top.** " He takes a deep breath and begins to 'properly explain'.

Crona wouldn't lie, this was strange for him. Ragnarok never spoke about his past, at all. And if he did, it would only be small hints of it, like a random reference to something or just little bits that mean nothing. Like his ability to speak the Nordic.

He never even told the Crona his age.

" **Long ago…like…probably thousands of years or more, I can't really fucking tell, there was Odin, Thor, Balder, all those fuckers. They were the Norse pantheon. See there was this…way of time they had, it's…hard to describe, at least for me, so I'll try to be as blunt as possible here-** "

"You usually are." Crona mumbles as lowly as he could, though it was still enough for Ragnarok to hear and give a quick 'Shut it' in response, before continuing. " **There was this…big event, that supposed to tell about the end of the gods…not even, the end of everything.** "

"…how fitting." Crona mumbles again, this time while giving a roll of his eyes. He could see Ragnarok had the same mindset of him as the Demon Sword pinches the middle of his 'X' in annoyance. " **Yeah, I know, just follow me on this.** "

With a small nod, Crona keeps silent as Ragnarok speaks. " **There was gonna be all kinds of shit, the battle with all the gods fighting all of the damned, something so intense that nothing will survive it. We are talking a giant serpent that is big enough to wrap around the earth, a wolf that eats the very sun, Odin himself would unleash a sword so powerful that it would wipe out all life…just by taking it out of its sheath.** "

Now he had truly captured Crona attention, making the teen's eyes widen. Ragnarok notices the look and scuffs out. " **Yeah…real fucking over-the-top.** " The black blood version of the teen would then hold both his hands up and points to himself with his thumbs. " **So of course, with such a blockbuster of an event…guess what or who that sword was…here's a hint, he's got two thumbs…and is pointing at himself like a jackass.** "

"…You?" Crona questions, still confuse on what was said and was becoming very skeptical if it were even true. The way Ragnarok was telling him it was 'off'. He spoke about it without any grandeur or any real importance. It was just in his usual annoyed tone. " **Yep…and guess what ALWAYS happened as soon as it was over.** " Ragnarok tells him right before casually snaps fingers. " **Boom…redo.** "

"Wait what?"

Ragnarok lets his hand fall back down as he rolls the small 'X's' that made up his pupils. " **Right at the end of everything, after the dust would settle…It would all happen, again. The gods would come back and restart everything all over again…and then they would die again, humanity and all life would be fucked, wolves eats sun and moon, lather-rinse-repeat.** "

"…that…doesn't make any sense. How is that possible?" Crona asks him, wondering for a moment if this was Ragnarok just trying to distract him by coming up with such a ridiculous thing. He will admit, when it came to him learning, History was never his strong suit.

Especially in terms of 'Before Death' or 'B.D' as he remembers his Hope telling him.

He couldn't tell if Ragnarok was making it all up on the spot or just was genuinely being honest with him. It was either Ragnarok was more imaginative then he gave him credit for, or the Demon Sword was telling the truth. And seeing that Ragnarok's vocabulary was half spent on the use of swear words, the latter actually seem more possible.

" **Doesn't make sense- YEAH, I NOTICED. Especially seeing as where we are right now, helping a giant ant with his farming, but trust me Crona…I was the only thing that would survive this shit, and I would be force to watch it all happen again and again.** " Ragnarok groans out as he runs his hand over his face again. " **I have…no idea how it happened, or how they managed to do this…but the Norse…did 'something' with time. They…made it…loop. Every time something happened that caused the death of all life…it would be called 'Ragnarök', I come out of my sheath for about a second and then…poof, everyone dies and comes back later…redo, cycle starts all over again. Life always comes back, gods come around, humanity comes to life, and then huge fight, everyone dies, lather…rinse and…repeat.** "

As Ragnarok spoke, his voice raised in volume. "T-that…but…that is…it's…that's…" Crona was starting to become frustrated by the lack of sense this had. "Why did it keep happening? Was there some cause for this event?" He asks, hoping that maybe there could be something to help him understand with what had happened to this world. If it was true, then there might be some connection.

Of course, that would be too easy though.

Ragnarok just places a hand behind his neck as he tries to remember back to how the gods would repeatedly met their end. It was all one massive blur if he were being honest. One can only go through the same thing so many times after all before it would dull their senses. " **I don't know…I think it happened when Baldur died thanks to Loki being a dick…or maybe it was something else like with Jörmungandr starting shit with Thor, god I hated that serpent. Even though he would always lose, the fucker kept picking fights with the damn thunder god! You think he'd learn after the eighth hundredth time.** "Ragnarok then falls to a sitting position on the ground with his face pressed against his knuckles. Mumbling something to himself under his breath as he rubs along his eyes.

"… **you know what, there has been so many events, I can barely list how even a tenth of them started. It always ended the same. I get pulled out of my sheath and well…you know the rest by now.** " He says while flicking his hands out, his tone changing to become more tired now.

Crona remained standing as he tries to piece together all Ragnarok told him. "You were never that strong before, unless I need to get a sheath-" Ragnarok interrupts him by giving a loud sigh. " **Yeah, I'm getting to that.** " He slaps his hands onto his lap as the top of his 'X' becoming a horizontal along his eyes, while his pupils look to the floor. He even began to speak in a more awkward tone now, showing that he was not comfortable about revealing this part of himself. " **I wasn't always like this, as in…walking and talking. I used to be just a…well not just a sword, but I was something else. I was gonna replace my…'brother', Mjölnir. Thor may have loved the hammer, but he needed a weapon with power that he could properly wield with two hands…Loki kinda fucked up the design on Mjölnir's handle so he could only hold it with one hand and-…that's a story in of itself.** "

He stops himself, while giving a wave of his hand. Crona moves down to sit in front of him as he asks. "You have a brother?" Crona had never thought the possibility of Ragnarok having his own family, let alone ever daring to think of him as a tool of the old gods. He always thought if anything Ragnarok was just some ordinary rude person before he…

…'met' Medusa.

" **HAD a 'brother', if you would call it that. It was just a hammer. And like I said that is a story in of itself. What I am trying to get at is that I was made…but there was a problem, a BIG problem. I was supposed to be the most powerful weapon, ever made in all the realms; better than any other. More grand, more graceful, more shinier, all that kind of stuff.** " He tells him as he waves his hand dismissively as he spoke.

"You weren't good enough?" Crona asks before he leans back as Ragnarok lets out a loud 'HA', as if Crona made a joke. " **Nope…the opposite. I was TOO strong. Made from things from different places that shouldn't have been put together. When I was…done, I…practically wasn't even a sword anymore. Just a big bomb waiting to go off…and take everything with me, including myself.** " He pauses to give another sigh, this one seeming to be filled with, of all things, regret. " **Didn't stop that one-eye asshat from still using me though.** "

"Who?" Crona asks as Ragnarok moves to pick himself up. " **His name was Odin…the king of Asgard, and pretty much the main holder of the world biggest shitbag award. And that really says something considering all the people I've met, including your mother.** " Ragnarok tells him as he offers his hand to Crona.

Holding back the urge to roll his eyes at that comment, Crona takes Ragnarok's hand and pulls himself up alongside him.

" **See there is one thing, that was ALWAYS consistent about Odin, no matter how many times the reset button was pushed. He always wanted to make it so Ragnarök, the event, doesn't happen anymore. To break the cycle and…do whatever comes after that.** " Ragnarok throws his arms out in a shrug. " **Well he did it…by using me again, but not like he usually would by pulling me free of my sheath. No, this one time he decided to do something different. In his…godly mindset of a ruler and of his 'infinite' wisdom…jackass decided the best idea…was to break me apart.** "

Crona's eyes blink in shock, only able to mumble a soft 'what?' before Ragnarok continued on.

" **Needless to say, there is not enough words in the human language to describe how DUMB of an idea that was on his part! On one hand, good news, he succeeded. The doom of the gods they continued to face would never happen again…problem is, when you have a sword or hell, anything, THAT powerful…you don't fucking break it!** "

The Demon Sword shouts as he jerks himself away from Crona and kicks up some of the dirt by his feet in frustration. " **I understand power enough, that without control, it will bite you on the ass and never let go! When Odin broke me, the resulting backlash pretty much wiped out most of the Norse pantheon in a blink of an eye. One part of myself fell down to earth, and the other part…a.k.a me…fell right into Helheim, the realm of the dead. The cesspool of all the other places where pretty much everyone like to throw their garbage.** "

Crona just continued to stare at him silently for a bit longer, imagining how it all must have happened for him. "…I'm sorry." He says, trying to sound as sincere as he could. Knowing that it must have been horrible for his partner to go through that.

It almost made the teen feel lucky, at least Ragnarok was with him when he came to this ruin world. If he didn't have Ragnarok, then things would be entirely different for the teen.

" **Yeah, well there is nothing for you to be sorry about expect for acting like a pussy all your life. If anyone got something to be angst-y about, it's me! While I was in the realm of the dead, that other part of myself ended up doing god knows what when he landed with the humans. Lot of our power was lost, and the asshole took most of what was left when we broke, last I heard of him was that he was with some king, and being called the 'Legendary Blade'…ugh…** " Ragnarok turns back to face Crona while giving a very strange disgust and annoyed look on his face. " **I swear if I ever see him, I'm gonna shove his stupid hat and cane right up his…well he doesn't really have an ass…forget it.** "

Ragnarok stops himself again, while shaking his head for a moment, as if to get rid of the thought. " **When I fell to the realm of the dead, I…changed. I used to be just be a tool, but…I don't know. Maybe it was being broken or hanging around with all those souls and…other things. What I'm trying to get at is, I changed.** " He holds up one of his hands, which began to reform itself. Changing into that of a blade.

The same one as his weapon form. " **Got myself an actual body too, one that didn't look…anything like this.** " He mumbles while gesturing to himself with his other hand. " **After a while, I was out and just…traveling. Seeing the world that I destroyed over, and over, and over again.** "

" **Got a reputation as 'Demon Sword' as the years went by…heh…Hehehehe…** " He pauses, as he starts to chuckle. No doubt reminiscing about all the things he did. Before he his life was forced into a different change. " **Well in the end…I was just minding my own business, trying to eat a fucking Gyro. Norse and Greek's never really go along. Kinda a way to say fuck you to Odin in one of the best ways possible, that and saying Zeus was a better king…next thing I know…some blonde bitch decided ruin my day…melt me down…and well, here we are.** "

With that, Ragnarok looks directly back at Crona with an almost expressionless look on his face, as his 'X' just moved to a natural position. His blade changes back to hand, and he crosses his arms over his chest.

Almost as if he was waiting for something.

"Why…are you telling me this?" It was an obvious question. After all, he had known Ragnarok his entire life. And not once told so much as a detail about it. Yet just now, he had finished unloading it all out for him. It just didn't make sense for the teen.

Ragnarok takes a deep breath and sighs out. " **Because there is something to learn from this…what this is…whatever it is we are going through. For all I know…someone else took the wheel after all those other gods left it when they died. This could be…probably the 'new Ragnarök'. As stupid as that sounds. Another loop, another opportunity for a reset.** "

He was talking in a low but understanding tone. Trying to be frank with the teen, as if he just realized it the more he spoke. "That's…no, that's insane. You don't know that." Crona tells him, though sounds unsure himself as he looks at his gauntlet with worry.

" **And what do you know?** " Ragnarok asks back as he steps closer to Crona. " **Come on man, look what Norse's shit was all about. Giants, cosmos destroying weaponry, need I remind you of the giant wolves that fucking eat the moon and sun! Suddenly aliens, zombies, hell opening up, tornados, and bug-people don't seem that far off.** " Ragnarok rolls his pupils as he continued talking. " **Gods are the type of beings that like pulling strings without being found out, what the hell do you think the whole 'fate' and 'destiny' stuff is all about.** "

As Ragnarok spoke, Crona just began to mumble under his own breath. He couldn't believe such a thing could happen, with so many lives being lose. With what had happened to Kid, and the gems themselves. He raised the Infinity Gauntlet closer to his face, as the Soul Gem begins to faintly glow in response.

Ragnarok sees the glow, and imminently tries to snap Crona out of whatever trance he could be put under by grabbing the teen's arm. " **Crona…there is another listen to my bullshit here.** " He cries out, with Crona's eyes snapping back to him. " **Maybe I am just talking shit but remember what I just told you…I used to be powerful enough to wipe out ALL life on this planet…and trust me as dumb as Odin was, especially near the end. The guy was ruler for a reason. He was powerful. But…power at the end was not the solution, it was the fucking problem!** " Ragnarok yells as he grabs Crona's other arm and forces down the gauntlet to make sure the teen was focused directly at him. " **Power is gonna make you think you'll be able to do anything. That you can force anything to happen if you use just enough of it.** "

Ragnarok lets go of Crona's gauntlet arm and holds up a single finger in front of teen's face.

" **Odin wanted to stop, one thing…ONE THING from happening with power that was way beyond him so that he could stop ONE shit-show from happing. And here you are, trying to assemble a fucking glove filled with six gems that are…way beyond ANYTHING ever thought possible, because it's fucking infinity…and you're trying to change not one but like…fifty different shit-shows at the same time from what that frog bitch told us!** " Ragnarok slowly let's go of Crona, as the 'X' on his face becomes more widen. He moves to back away as the realization hits him of just what position he was in.

" **All this talk of cycles…and I'm seeing it again, with someone just about to fuck everything up even more than imaginable…just because they don't like how things went. What the hell makes you think you are better than a fucking god!?** "

Ragnarok shouts, the look on his face, the tone of his voice, the feel of his soul. It told Crona just how frighten the Demon Sword really was. A broken tool of gods was asking him a simple question. But it held a lot meaning behind it. It showed that Crona's fear was true, that Ragnarok did not have faith in him.

So Crona told him his answer, speaking in that cold tone.

"Nothing does…but I have to do it. I see a chance, Ragnarok and honestly…I have to take it, no matter what. No matter what is said, or how you try to strive me from this path. It is mine to take, regardless of what you have to say." With that, Crona just turns around and walks back to where he was originally working.

Back to planting the seeds as he was intruded, like the conversation never happened.

Leaving Ragnarok to blankly stare at him in silence as he took Crona's words to heart. " **…I bare my soul to you…and that's what you throw back at me.** " He mumbles quietly to himself as he turns his back to the teen.

He places his hand over his face and gives out a muffled growl, before he goes back to working his own job, kicking side the make-shift Garden hoe and instead changes the shape of his arm, into his own version of it.

Crona didn't seem to care, not even acknowledging the old roots or bits of rock that were obviously thrown at him by the demon sword. No more words were shared between the two, even as Hijana returned bringing news that they had enough of the strange vegetation left over for a special meal.

" **Geez, a different kind of soup, thanks.** " Ragnarok would say, with Crona giving a low chuckle. But that would really be the only interaction they had for a while, even as the lights within the cave went dark and they retreated back into the house. The old Ant saw how they were acting but made no move against it.

No longer wishing to be 'in the middle of their drama', as Ragnarok would put it, and remembering how the last conversation went with one of them. All it did was congratulate them on doing their task so well, and with Crona having finish planting the seeds and Ragnarok clearing the ground of anything that will hinder the plants growth much faster than it thought they would, all they will need is time and they will be able to gain the trust of the Ma'tnota and then be on their way.

After finishing their meal Ragnarok volunteer to help Hijana to its bed, the old ant still being exhausted after the long walk through the village. Its frail body was barely able to stand after it had sat down to eat. "…Something tells me you two did not reconcile while I was away." The Old Ant clicks as Ragnarok opens the door to its room, having one of its legs slumped over his shoulder. " **What gave that away, the mass awkward silence we had while eating?** "

Ragnarok just scuffs as he helps the old ant reach the bundle of rags that made up his bed. " **It's nothing, don't worry about it. Just get some rest, okay?** " As he places Hijana down, the old ant looks to him and speaks in a humorous tone. "I like to, but I'm afraid if I don't than you two are gonna lose any motivation. How am I gonna inspire you two to work harder?" Ragnarok gives a soft chuckle. " **By not dying seems like a good idea.** " Hijana began to give out a loud clicking noise, as it rolls its head back and clicks its mandibles together.

"Hopefully not for a while my friend." Hijana laughs out as Ragnarok leaves the room with a dismissive wave of his hand and a low 'good night' as he closes the door behind him.

Try as he might, Ragnarok couldn't help but give out a worried sigh as he remembers what he and Crona talked of. He knew the ant was very old and was becoming weaker as time went by. Still, it didn't mean he wanted the old ant to die.

He didn't mean for everything to get out of hand as much as it did with their arguments but Crona's attitude just bothered him to no end. Just continuing to push the black blood creature, to the point he wanted to punch the teen in his teeth.

As Ragnarok walks back to the living room of the house, he finds Crona was sitting by the fire looking to be deep in thought about something as usual. For a moment he thinks that maybe he could try again, try to get him to understand exactly what was wrong…

But decides against it. Like Crona had told him, nothing he could say to him would change his mind. So maybe it would be best to not talk to him after all, and instead someone else.

Someone else that held the power of infinity.

As quietly as he could, Ragnarok walks passed Crona and out the house front door. This was a horrible idea, he knew it was. But he also knew that what Crona was doing was wrong. For some reason he just can't let it happen again.

Maybe it was thinking back to his past that brought up these old feelings, maybe it was just seeing Crona becoming dishearten and colder to it all. Maybe it could be as simple as him just liking the old ant. Whichever the reason, he could not stand by and see something like this again.

His thoughts turn to the village insects. And further back to the days he was a simple tool. What was always forgotten was how when event of Ragnarök came, the humans had little to no idea what it was before it would be too late.

If they are gonna die, they at least have the right to know why and have some way to defend themselves.

" **This is gonna bite me in the ass.** " Ragnarok groans out softly as he walks off towards the village, not noticing that the ground he was stepping over, where he and Crona had spent their 'days' in this cave planting seeds had begun to glow low hue of green just underneath the surface.


	6. POWER (p3)

The low sound of Crona's breathing fills the room.

'Focus', the word repeated within his mind repeatedly, as he was sitting on the floor.

Concentration is needed more than ever.

Shifting his crossed legs again, Crona blinks his eyes close and focuses on keeping his breathing calm. He doesn't know how long he's been at it, but it's been long enough for three false starts. He keeps getting into position and connecting with the Soul Gem halfway, only to have his mind drift off and become anxious. Crona wouldn't have described himself before as unfocused, but by now he's forced to acknowledge just how often his mind gets stuck on irrelevant, strange thoughts.

All of which concern his past.

A low groan escapes him as he rolls his shoulders and re-crossed his legs for what felt like the umpteenth time. With his reasoning seeming so childish, of trying to be 'comfortable'. He wanted to throw his hands up and scream in annoyance but holds himself back. Instead taking a moment to collect with him and lightly taps the side of his head with his uncovered hand.

"Come on…focus." He mumbles out, as he relaxes his body and tries to place his mind back on track.

Meditation was, somewhat, of a crude and desperate idea but it was an idea at least.

One that came as his thoughts turn to the DWMA, and one of the lessons they had taught. The details are somewhat obscured now, fuzzy from time and more recent experiences, but he recalls how each lesson on souls linked the body, mind, and soul together; the stronger and more stable one aspect, the stronger and more stable the other two. The three are irreversibly interwoven.

Meditation was taught to help one's soul to understand this, to become more at ease with the body and mind. But there was a small, problem though. Though he was taught 'about' it and had even unknowingly seen such a thing done by his own mother, Crona was never taught 'how' to do such a thing himself.

All he had to go on, were the teachings he barely remembered and the times his mother had meditated near him, and even then, there was no much to pull from there. All he could do was mimic the position she took by sitting on the floor, with his legs crossed before him and his hands held on each thigh. Sometimes she would take such a pose on a special mat with magic candles nearby, and other times more casually, when she felt like sitting without a chair and getting some reading done.

But that was all he had to go on, and he knew for a fact he was nowhere close to mental clarity.

With a long-frustrated sigh, he stops trying to think of meditation and relaxation and begins to try a different route. Back again to his past, but more on the lessons he did remember from the DWMA.

What few he did receive and fewer he could recall.

The lessons he had in the DWMA all spoke of a strong soul, being in the strong body but there perhaps it was time to truly ponder what that means. What a soul really is. He remembers back then, how his mind struggled to follow what the textbook drooled out to him, how the teachers all just droned on with the 'facts' that was taught onto them years ago.

Perhaps then, it was all anyone knew save perhaps Death himself.

But all of that truly changed when Crona had gotten the Soul Gem. It wasn't all 'flat out in front of him', but he did acquire a more understand to it all. About the soul and about the nature of life itself. All so conflicting with what he remembers the DWMA or even Medusa telling him.

They may have gotten an idea of it, but they truly did not know just what a soul was like. It was not just a sign of life or a ball of power, but something more. And they exist in far more places then just in living beings.

Souls could be found in anything that grows and dies. They are the very essence of life and all a being is; their energy and information, their experiences, attributes, and all-around worth. It is not something one can easily control, it flows like river in the rain. Constantly flowing and growing.

It takes an extreme level of aptitude and skill to have any mastery over one's own soul, let alone the soul of anyone else. Even the small and insignificant kind of souls; such as the ones found in the flames in front of him, or the seeds that were buried in the dirt outside the house were something else entirely from one another.

Fire had only two things with it, grow or die they were simple and needed very little coercing to push onward or slow themselves down. Seeds on the other hand, were more complex, more structured and therefore rigid, nowhere near the level of flexibility that fire had. Especially with the amount there was.

It be maddening to even attempt to manipulate it for anyone, expect for the one who possess the right tool.

The Infinity Gem of the Soul.

Crona's breathing remained calm, not having moved from his position on the floor since he had begun the task ahead of him. For a moment he feels his own excite as he could that finally something was happening for him as a certain weight begins to be felt upon his soul as he heat-less, supernatural glow is summoned, already so bright that it could be seen through his closed eyes.

With it comes a familiar sense of foreboding, that something will go wrong, that he is making a mistake. Crona aggressively disregards it; he doesn't care about the potential risks or what goes wrong, he needs results. A mildly unpleasant and steadily increasing pins-and-needles sensation begins to be felt throughout his body and he could almost feel as if his lungs were being pressed upon but instead, he directs his attention inward. First his soul, and then the gem which amplifies it. For a brief moment, it's all too much to bear; Crona feels like he's drowning in the power of the gem, in the vast awareness it bestows. Very similar to what had happened when he first claims it.

He could feel too much around himself.

There was Hijana, the old ant that slept not too far away, the insect people that made up the entire village, Ragnarok, his partner, the Ma'tnota, and it continued on. Going even outside the village and more to the lands up above and around. He could sense creatures flying in the air, others burrowing through the dirt, some seeming to be intelligent, others being as wild animals are.

Crona grits his teeth as he could feel his mind, his very soul start to quiver and quake from the sheer magnitude of all that was around him. He could sense the fear, the hunger, the angry, the exhaustion, the joy, the hope, the want, the pain, and every other experience possible all around him at once to level he couldn't even fathom.

Most beings would be driven straight to madness, but luckily Crona is already there.

Overwhelmed and out of his depth, Crona continues to push onward as always. Forcing himself to narrow his own viewpoint to find his target. The many souls of the seeds he and Ragnarok had sent their days placing into the fields.

All was black around him, and for a moment it was peaceful. Just within the black abyss surrounded by the souls of so many seeds, all so small and frail. They lacked the willpower that human souls had, and lack the hunger that flames craved. It was even worth argue if they were sentient at all of what was going on around them, if they have known what had become of the world around, or if they just continued to rely on those 'in-built set of instructions' millions of years nature had instilled on them.

Taking a soul within his gauntlet covered hand, Crona holds it close to his face to stare into it. Fire was much easier, took less time and effort to connect to them because of what they wanted. They're easier to grow. Plants were much harder, as Hijana had assured him.

It made sense that it took him longer to finally connect with these souls, but as Ragnarok would most likely say ' **just because it makes sense, doesn't mean it's not freaking annoying** '. Now that he was here with one of the many souls, literally in his grasp Crona wondered what he shall do next.

He tried not to let the massive number of seeds cloud his judgement or worry him, just the task itself. It was after all, one simple thing. After this he would fulfill his end of the bargain and leave. Simple, easy. No fear of any complications.

He just needed to overcome this one barrier in his way.

He didn't have long to think though, as a green flash of light bright through the black abyss for an instant and before Crona could even guess what had happened, with a rush of a flash flood, the souls of the seeds sprung at him.

Crona is assault with memory of back in his childhood, remembering how his mother had tried teaching him how to swim once. She threw him in the middle of a river stream, telling him he could either drown or swim. Like before he feels his body submerged, and his trying to grasp for anything to grip onto. Something was wrong, something had caused the souls to erupt from their docile state.

They bash upon his body relentlessly, giving him very little time to react at all. Crona could feel his body- no…his soul is being ruptured by these things. One would just be an annoyance, but hundreds is certainly a threat, especially on that of a bare soul.

Something he knew was far more valuable.

Something was whispering to him, what it was, he couldn't tell. Too focused on the assault placed on his soul. But what it did say, was how was toying with things he shouldn't be, that was feeble and arrogant for even thinking to try what he does.

The voice would have made Crona shrivel in size, made him curl himself to his protective little ball for protection, would have made him want to admit defeat. If he was how he was before. All it did though, was remind him of how angry he was getting.

Not only at himself, but at everything that just seems to try and stop him. To stop his quest.

First, he allowed himself to give in to the Ma'tnota's demands, then he allowed himself to be distracted with an argument with Ragnarok on 'ethics' of all things, now he was allowing this weak and pathetic excuses of souls to hinder him.

The mere concept of such an idea, was just insane. It made Crona feel something, he never wanted to feel again, something deep within him that he wanted buried but could feel it slowly climbing outward. He wanted it gone, he hoped it was, but he knew it was there, it was a part of him that he knew would never leave him. A reminder of what he was, just like his blood.

He bites it down, forced it away, before throwing his head back and screaming out among the mass of souls around him. "ENOUGH!" It was the loudest he had scream in a while and with it, carried something else. A certain 'wave' that was unfelt to many for a long, long time.

The souls that assault him, immediately back away, as if in shock of his sudden vocalization. The 'wave' having been carried with his voice, had struck all the souls within the black abyss. Crona floated on, surrounded by them, and was so captivate with his own rage, that he had barely noticed how the souls were beginning to jittering up and down to themselves.

Silently laughing, after being touched by madness itself.

"My oh my, this is an interesting turn of events."

A voice is heard, and Crona snaps his eyes open…

He was no longer in the black abyss, nor was he in old house. He's somewhere else, somewhere more familiar.

He was back at the place, the beach in his dreams.

Quiet.

It was very quiet.

No sound at all could be heard. It was like a complete vacuum.

Nothing else was different, he was back to his simple robe and he was standing on shore of the gray-sand beach looking out to the black sea in front him. But it was the total absence of sound that made this place feel off. The word 'eerie' comes to mind.

This place was always quiet before, but now it was completely mute. He kicks at the sand, and there is still nothing. Not even the sound of sand falling or the impact of it hitting his shoe. This was not right.

Something was wrong, very wrong in fact. Not just with the dream but with what had happened before.

He looks to the gauntlet, still on his left arm. The green gem it had was dim, very dim.

Crona wonders what could have happened. He knows for a fact that he had been mediating earlier, he knows that he had been able to connect to the souls of the seeds as well. But what had cause them to suddenly attack and what brought him here? Did he fall asleep and it was all part of a long nightmare?

"Being beaten by the souls of plant fetus, eh Mad Titan. You know, most boys your age tend to dream about girls."

A voice calls out from behind him, it echoed across the silence so inhumanly it was almost like air blowing on his ears. Crona turns with fist raised, expecting a fight. He didn't know that voice, it sounded like man and had an accent to it that Ragnarok would call 'tea and crumpet'.

But the instead of an owner of the voice, Crona finds that something has changed in this place. It was some large ominous structure, in the shape of a human skull, with steam pooling from its eyes that roused to the empty black skies above. An opening was at the skull's mouth, revealing the inside to hold a light that shined from deep within, colored the shade of green as his Infinity Gem.

"That's…new." Crona awkwardly mumbles, surprised at how loud his own voice sound in the presence of total silence the beach had held. He slowly steps closer to the structure, taking in how large the place was the more he got closer, looming over him like a beast looking at its prey.

Once he entered inside, the sheer size became ridicules with the ceiling seeming to have reached higher than even Crona could see. And that was not without even thinking about how the rest of the inside looked.

How the walls were chiseled in the shapes of people's faces, all of which were frozen in looks of terror, how the floor was like an earthquake had taken place, with the tiles that made it up all seeming to be uneven and broken apart. The green light that shined from inside was gone and was replaced by normal candle light from several torches that hang on the walls.

Walking through the halls, Crona takes a moment to rub at his eyes, not fully understanding what is happening to him or why the place has formed here. He wonders for a moment if this was like that one place he stumbled upon in the ruins of the DWMA, right before he met with Kid. That he was in again thrown through some odd limbo.

"Relax, you're not there." The voice calls out again, echoing off the walls from down the hall. Crona flinches at how sudden it was and quickly moves himself to prepare for something to attack him. He waits for anything else to be said or for something to head towards him.

But he was met with nothing but silence. He tries to push the thought away that maybe he was just losing control of his own mind again. After all, this would not be the first time he was hearing a voice in his head. He needed that thought gone. He could not afford to let his madness in, not after all the horror it had caused. Not after what it had cost him.

Making his way further down, Crona notes how the walls just continued with no other way of distinguishing if he was even making any progress. He wonders if he should just turn back and return to the beach.

It has been some time since last he dreamt of this place. Perhaps this is something he has been needing without realizing it. Though his feelings of these dreams are 'complicated', he saw it as his chance to see his hope. To see who drives him to complete his quest. Through there was a chance that she was hiding in this place, waiting for him to arrive.

Or she is waiting outside and wondering why there is a giant skull out on a beach, then again there was the third possibility that she just didn't appear. Had not been the first time he had dreamt this place and his hope was not in sight.

With any of these things being a possibility, Crona decides that the best course was to continue walking through this quiet hall, at least to see why such a place even exist and if it could even end.

With nothing to interact with but a slow walk, his mind begins to wander. He thinks back to what he knows of dreams. His mother telling him that they mean nothing really, just muddled messages from the sub-conscious. Trying to understand what they could mean would be a waste of time and effort. If you come to realize you are in a dream, the best course would be to just 'go with it' to see where it leads.

"…if only I knew where it was I am going." Crona mumbles out loud, as he stops his movement and rubs at his eyes again. Irritated that he was stopped from his work with the Infinity Gem to be thrown in some maze in his own mind. As he removed his hand from his eyes though, he saw a faint green glow appear at his side.

Turning his head, he finds what seems to be a doorway had appeared at his side, leading into a different hallway. This time with what seems to be…the very low sound of someone speaking.

Without hesitation, Crona moves to investigate what it could mean…but is stopped as a voice calls out to him again. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice, the same from outside calls out. Crona wildly looks around him but finds no source for the voice. Worryingly he remembers back to the last time he was in the dream and who he saw. "…Kid. Is that you?"

The voice came back again, with a gleeful chuckle weaving along its words. "Hehehe No, unfortunately I am not the reaper. I'm sorry to say, but it I think it be kinda hard for him to speak seeing as you threw him into a well of infinity." The voice says, pausing as if seeming to calm itself down. "Don't worry, his death was almost instantly…well maybe, either that or it stretched on for forever. Honestly, it's hard to tell with such mind-numbing things."

With a small shake of his head, Crona pushes on. If this voice was not trying to attack him, then he had no reason to waste his time listening. "Wasting your time, well I bloody hope not." Crona pauses mid-step as he was about to move through the doorway, wondering exactly if the voice had somehow heard his thoughts.

"Oh yes I did. To be fair, we are in your soul. Not much to hide in here, especially when one knows where to look." Crona looks off to the side for a moment, before giving another shake of his head as he continues to walk through the doorway. The voice didn't seem to like being ignored though. "Oh, come on now, no questioning? No paranoid filled theories of maybe me being a worm that crawled in your ear? Oh, maybe I am the devil himself who's come to possess you."

Crona rolls his eyes as he hears the voice prattle on, while slowly beginning to chuckle again. "You think you are the first delusional voice I found in my head?" He mumbles back coldly, finding that this new path he's taken wasn't any better than the last one. In fact, it looked the same. "Ah, that's harsh now. I am only trying to help you. Watch your step." With that, the tip of Crona's foot hits a raised tile and he briefly losses his footing.

Now the voice was laughing at him.

Crona tightly closes his fist and gives out a low hum from sheer irritation. He's only known this voice for a such a short time, and it's already proven to be worse than ever other voice he's heard in his head before. "Well let's look at my competition. A shadow that symbolizes your innocence and incredible guilt complex, that clown creature a you had for a while, and finally said mother herself. My, if I didn't know any better, I start to think you may be a bit mentally ill."

He didn't know who this voice was, or what it could possible be a part of, but Crona swore he was gonna find the source and kill it.

"Oh, I have to ask and do be honest with me. That whole madness of boobs thing; was that you or Ragnarok? Honestly, I always saw you more of an 'ass-man'. I mean, could you blame me? With how offend your eyes tend to wander down toward Ms. Albarn's skirt. Heh, leave it to a swordsman to find a place to put his blade."

He didn't care what direction it was anymore, nor where the source was. In an instant, the tome they were in, the very core of Crona's soul shook…before suddenly all from the child's body, black blood erupted.

The blood moved as a flood, traveling throughout the hall and creaking the shell of the stone-face craved walls around him as it crashed into it. As quickly as it came, it began to disappear with the blood draining away, seeping into the creaks that made up the broken floor in the halls.

Crona stood where he did before with a small pool of blood still around him, his breath uneven as he had a strange look on his face. The blood around him was flicking and moving on their own, small bits of it flowing upward and curling around slightly, like that of a snake.

"You…dare!" Crona growls, his teeth firmly grinding together as the pupils in his eyes turn pure black, and his bangs shift aside to reveal a third eye had open in the center of his forehead. The voice didn't speak at first, instead what came was a simple most degrading kind of sound one can hear.

A slow clap.

"Ah, so that bit of Kishin is still within you after all. It's buried down, yes, but still there. I wonder why that might be. Crona, my dear boy, don't tell me you're holding it back now." The walls began to crumble around him but Crona did not care. He wanted to find this voice, and silence it. "Oh my, wishing to silence a voice that is annoying you, aren't we original." This time there was a direction, this time he could hear it come from a source.

It was not far, by his side. Seeming to come from the wall itself. With not even a thought to follow, Crona holds his hand out and a black short blade forms out along his right arm's sleeve. This blade wasn't the one he used most his life, it was another.

One that was similar in appearance but was from something else. It's sharp, fang-filled mouth showed that most of all. His arm moves in a blur, easily carving through the wall as if it were flesh. He didn't stop with one strike, Crona continued, hacking and slashing letting out his frustration that the voice had given him.

A part of him felt childish to do such a thing, having words be what cause such rage in him. But they were words that targeted not himself, but his hope. His reason for this quest. His light.

"Your sunshine, your soulmate, and other cute little pet names that you give her without her consent." The voice's taunt's on, and before Crona had even come to realize it, he had easily craved through the wall itself and had already stepped through…

He finds a room, very much unlike the hall he was in before. This one, was that of Kid's home. The very same room he remembers most, when he was invited for a party with the others. But instead of the many colorful guest, and filled with people talking and laughing…he saw one simple thing more than anything.

His hope.

There she was standing in the middle of room, with her back to him. No longer was she in a dress, but rather she was in her that white uniform he remembers last seeing her in. "M-Maka…" He calls out, raising his hand to reach for her. That was till Kid stepped in front of him, looking exactly as he did those many years ago, with his suit and unmatched hair. "I do believe we need to talk, hu-" He tries to speak but is stopped.

"I rather you both didn't." Before Crona could even react, the voice calls out to them. Then Crona felt himself lurch forward…and suddenly feels himself pulled away, pulled back out from this place, out from his soul.

For a moment Kid seemed to have his eyes widen in shock, before instantly calming down as he looks to the other end of the room. There he finds the culprit, leaning against the far side of the wall cuddling what seemed to be a martini drink in one hand, while the other has a finger running along the rim of it.

It looked to be a man but was far from such a thing. It's bright red skin and pointed ears was clear evidence of that. He looks at Kid and gives a knowing smile. "Sorry, but I can't allow you to toy with him quite yet…I need him for now. Besides, you cannot blame the boy for having such a narrow viewpoint. It's kinda adorable that he thinks he could actually control infinity itself." The man, or rather, the devil said before he moves his hand off the rim of his glass and into his coat pocket, retrieving a small yellow gem.

One very similar to the one in Crona's gauntlet.

Without a word, he disappears as well, giving the two fakes a smile as he leaves.

When Crona opens his eyes again…he was on the floor of the house, staring up the ceiling. The fire near him slowly beginning to die out.

"W-what…how…" He raises his uncovered hand and rubs his eyes for a moment. "I swear," he mumbles, "these dreams are getting worst." He pulls his hand away and bring up his other gauntlet-covered one, immediately looking to the gem it holds. It no longer looked dim, so he considered that a 'win'. What had truly worried him though, was if he completed his goal.

Rising to his feet, Crona walks to the window of the house and finds exactly what he feared. The field was exactly as it was before. Barren with only the small patch of plant life the old ant had picked earlier.

Pathetic and barren.

A part of him wanted to laugh at himself, for being surprised at such an outcome. He ignores it and focuses on something else. A feeling as it begins to stir within him; it's so sudden and stark against the near-consuming numbness he's felt as of late. He barely recognizes it at first.

It's not the same bittersweet rush of power that comes with causing destruction. Not even a sense of crushing despair or anxiety that he can recall so well that even his poems were filled with it. It was a constant companion that often comes when thinking of his actions; the feeling of disappointment.

The swordsman once again presses his uncovered hand to his face, and then gives a weary sigh.

Given it had been his first attempt at such a thing, he knows it's ridiculous to feel so unhappy with himself. He's making it up as he goes along, without the slightest hint of instruction or help. Failure was a very likely outcome, and he'd known that at the very beginning of his venture. However, seeing all his effort, his concentration and inner battles with his own unsound mind, seeing that it had all amounted to a waste of time was more disheartening than he could have imagined.

And an immeasurable daunting reminder of what exactly he is trying to do.

This is only one of the six, and he cannot do so much as give life to plants. What hope he has of rebuilding this world. Of seeing his hope return to him.

The sound of the door opening encourages Crona to lower his hand away and push aside those dark thoughts. He turns to see the black blood version of himself in the doorway. The small 'x's' that make up Demon sword's pupils look right at Crona, and even with how unexpressive Ragnarok's face was on a good day, Crona could still tell his partner was not happy to see him.

"Is this the part where I ask, 'where have you been all night?'" Crona says rhetorically, voice cold. He watches Ragnarok turn his head to the side and give a dismissive scoff in response, before continuing inside without a word. Crona would not stand for being ignored.

Perhaps it was due to his frustration over failing to give life to the field, or maybe it was due to his strange, unnerving dreams, but Crona was in no mood for this petty round of this silent game between them. The swordsman rushes in front of his partner and glares back at him.

"Why are you being so difficult? We are nearly done here, and you threaten to ruin all of that over something so…small!"

Crona notices his words were not helping. The top of the 'X' on Ragnarok's face lowers, showing that he was glaring back. " **Small…you call putting lives in danger small…** " Ragnarok gives a shake of his head as he rolls his inhuman eyes, clearly agitated as he clenches his fists, as if getting ready to punch someone. Most likely Crona. " **Fuck sakes; excuse me then for giving a shit about what's going on here. I got a question: what the hell is wrong with you?! You're willing to lie to these people about their gem and leaving all of the defenseless. Between the two of us, aren't you supposed to care about this shit?** "

Crona had to hold himself from saying that it 'wasn't be their problem', knowing that it would just result in the same exact argument they had before. "I am not…I am not lying to anyone." Crona says instead, hoping to take the conversation elsewhere.

Immediately he saw that was a mistake, as he sees Ragnarok leer at him with a condescending look. " **Right, of course, you're not lying to him. You're just…not telling him all the details. I get you.** " He says with a shrug of his arms. " **Last time you did that, if I remember right, it broke poor Maka's heart.** "

Those words hit harder than any punch he could have thrown, and Ragnarok knows it. He sees Crona own fist close, both gauntlet-covered and uncovered alike, clench tightly. The Demon Sword sees how his teeth grind against each other, the glow that manifests in his eyes. At this point though, Ragnarok didn't care. He was just happy to finally get something through Crona's thick skull, even if it's such a small thing.

Staring down Crona's prominent signs of anger, Ragnarok expects his Meister to shout something, to grab him and start strangling him, or, more realistically given the glow in his eyes, just blast him with that strange laser-thing of his to half-way across the village.

What he didn't expect was for Crona to take a deep breath and regain his composure. The words 'Oh shit' fly so fast through the weapon's mind as he tries to think what's gonna happen. He still has control over his body, hardening it to prepare what Crona will do.

"The Farmer is in its bed right now." Crona says at last, with a very calm demeanor.

Ragnarok's eyes give a noticeable twitch, watching as familiar look came on Crona's face. The small tug on the teen's lips, the gleam in his eyes. Like mother, like son, and in this case Ragnarok can see the family resemblance as clear as day.

"I believe it suffered what passes for the ant equivalent of a heart attack shortly after you left."

Ragnarok stomps forward, leaning his face close to Crona's. " **That's not funny, and you know it.** " He growls out, his inhuman 'X' pupils glaring as harshly as he could make them. Crona's face remains unflinching, keeping that calm smile despite it all. "I think we both know my comedic skills are lacking."

Ragnarok's rage becomes more subdued, being replaced by worry. His eyes moving from Crona to the door behind him, where Hijana had gone to slept earlier that 'night'. It was clear that Ragnarok was becoming hesitant, as his eyes began to glance back and forth and Crona and the door. " **You best be fucking with me right now.** "

Crona doesn't say anything back this time, just continues to give that smile. Ragnarok's fist were harden, and he was really holding himself from driving it right to Crona's face. " **You…son of a bitch!** " He shouts as he shoves Crona aside while rushing to the room.

"Well I do believe I fit the criteria of being such a thing." Crona mumbles to himself, as he follows his partner. He holds the urged to roll his eyes as he sees Ragnarok nearly tear the door from its hinges as he opens it and runs inside. "And you say 'I'm' overdramatic."

Crona enters the room as quietly as he could, making sure to watch his footing so that he wouldn't step on a loose floorboard. From the doorway, he could see the room was thankfully lit just enough for him to see, thanks to the large window and the lights from outside.

It let him see his partner, who was currently on his knees near a large bundle of blankets where the Old Ant rested. He was holding a hand out to it hesitantly, afraid to touch it. Crona couldn't help but let his smile grow as Ragnarok nearly falls back in shock, as the ant itself moved slightly, shifting in place to help itself become more comfortable in its sleep.

" **You…You said-** " Ragnarok whispers in disbelief, turning to look back at Crona for a second, before his eyes turn once more to the sleeping ant in front of him, watching as the antennae on its head were slightly twitching, and its body raise and fall from its own breathing. Not a care at all for it's supposed demised.

"I said it suffered some kind of 'heart attack'. I never said it died from it." Crona whispers, just loud enough from the doorway for Ragnarok to hear him. "Come, it's getting its rest and I rather not have to explain to it why we are both watching it sleep if it awakes." For a moment Ragnarok wants to shout something at him but stops himself. There wasn't a point to do it anymore.

Reluctantly, Ragnarok moves away from the sleeping Hijana and goes out with Crona back to near the dying fireplace, just a few embers away now from being snuffed out. Ragnarok watches his partner, as he rests his gauntlet-covered hand on top of the mantel, while looking at the embers.

The usual look on his face was there, the 'deep in thought so don't interrupt me look' that Ragnarok has now grown to hate. He thinks back for a moment on not only his life, but Crona's as well. Wishing that things were simpler. Now, it was just a 'massive shit show'.

" **Of course, you have to go scaring me.** " He mumbles out loud enough for his partner to hear, though sees the teen not even look up to him. Trying to play it off, he turns back to look at the doorway that led to the Ant's room. " **At least the old guy isn't dyin-** "

"Did I say that?" Crona's harsh tone voice clash right through his. The Demon Sword turns to see the teen was looking at him now, with a down right annoyed look on his face. " **You told me-** " Ragnarok didn't get to finish as Crona steps up closer to him. "I told you nothing." He spats out with little hesitation. "It is old, broken, and tired. It will die, if anything at a matter of moments."

He throws up his uncovered him in a dismissive flick of his wrist toward the direction of the Hijana's room. "I can see it happening as we speak. I can feel it. It's fading away, and there is nothing neither of us can do to stop that. Have it die in its sleep in peace." With such words Crona, had quickly realize what was gonna happen again.

They were now gonna argue now, and he waits for the loud curse-filled insult directed at him…

Only for it to never come, as Ragnarok turns his full attention to the door again. The distress so visible on his face even those who were blind could see it. Crona rolls his eyes and turns his head to look away from the display.

This was twice in-a-row now, that Ragnarok completely given up on an argument. Usually he is so fast to say something back, that him not saying anything is getting under Crona's nerves. "Realistically, what has it been? A few days, correct…didn't think you were the one to be so easily emotional attached to someone." He brings up his gauntlet covered arm to grip at his right arm.

Like he was one to talk. How devoted had he become after befriending his hope? Enough to forget about his mother, and why he was a monster, for a brief time.

Ragnarok's back hits the side of the fireplace. " **One of us has to give a shit…so if you won't, I will.** " Even he was looking confused in why he cared so much now. He brings up one of his fists and lightly begins to hit the 'X' on his face. " **I just…damn it…** "

Crona wanted to brush it off, he should be pleased that finally this ant would be out of the way and Ragnarok could focus on what is important. The Demon sword is letting his emotions cloud his judgement, what they are trying to do is massively more important than any of this.

And yet, seeing that distress…

Ragnarok's face, is usually one that is very bleak. He could remember many times where others were never able to tell if his partner was thinking, due to his overall lack of a mouth most of the time and how his face was shaped. But for Crona, who have spent the majority of his life with the weapon, he could easily read the emotions on his partners face.

What surprised him, was that they were…the same Crona had for most of his life.

He could see guilt, shame, regret, disappointment, worry, fear. These things weren't anything Crona was used to seeing on Ragnarok of all people. The weapon usually only being a large ball of childish rage, and craving for food a lot of the time.

But then, Crona's mind goes back to what Ragnarok told him. Of his past, of what the Demon Sword had gone through years before he or even his mother was ever born. He really began to think on that, if Ragnarok did feel guilty for what he done. Being the one to kill, so many lives in an instant.

A part of him, immediately recalls back to his hope. How with all the people he killed, all the things Medusa made him done, that it wasn't his fault. That it was no more his fault as it was for a knife's fault for being used to stab someone.

Ragnarok was just like him, a knife that never had the choice. A knife that was used to hurt so many.

Made him realize why they work so well together.

Crona holds up his gantlet covered arm, staring right at the Soul Gem for a moment. He worries for a moment, on what may happen if he does what he is thinking. Hesitation and worry were what cost him so much, pushing past it was the only he could get results.

Ragnarok right shoulder jumps slightly as he feels the cold melt clamp on it. He turns to Crona, about to ask what he was doing, but is silence as he begins to feel something within his chest. A familiar rhythm was there.

It was different then he remembered it used to be.

Crona's soul was always dry and quiet, only changing for a time when he was with Maka. There was life to it. Not a lot, just enough. Like a calm breeze going through the air on a nice day.

Now though, it was…

It was different. It was as still quiet, but an empty kind of quiet. The calm breeze had turn into a cold wind, found in the highest of mountains. There was even something else there, something he had gotten to known of a lot over the last few years he has been dealing with the teen.

Madness.

It was a very faint tone, almost as if it were being pushed down. But still there, still sharpen and erratic by seeming to just do whatever it wishes to.

" **What are you trying to do?** " Ragnarok growls out as he grips the gauntlet that held onto his shoulder. The glare he gave was full of spit and was about a few seconds away from full on rage, yet Crona held on still.

"Do you remember the people we killed? The ones that Lady-…that Medusa told us to do. I remember you telling me once that you never cared for them." Ragnarok froze as he sees Crona was looking at his own gauntlet, with the Soul Gem beginning to shine as he spoke. "That's not true though…you've always cared. You do care about all the awful things Medusa made us do, the people in your past, me, even…you cared about my hope."

He slowly takes his gauntlet hand off Ragnarok's and moves himself closer, touching the gauntlet, over Demon Sword's chest. Ragnarok gives a shake of his head as the same feeling as before became stronger. His own soul bringing its own rhythm out of old habit.

Just as it was before, the two easily play off one another, picking up where the other failed in the tone.

"You just buried it deep down, held it close to your heart so that no one else could see it." Ragnarok has to look away as the Soul Gem begins to glow brighter. He was really starting to hate the gem even more now. " **…what the fuck are you do-** " He tries to speak out again, only for Crona to take his gauntlet hand off him and stares directly into the bright gem.

"The Soul gem allows complete manipulation of one's soul. It draws out a person's true nature, even without me telling it to. The true about yours is…you…" Crona stops as he closes his gauntlet to a fist. He could see it all clearer than ever before now. The Soul Gem, allowing him to resonate far better with Ragnarok's soul than ever before. Crona can see, just as the seeds outside, the weight his partner carried. The sins he felt he earned. The hate he had for himself.

And what he feared from Crona.

"…you don't want to be the thing that destroys. You never wanted to be a mindless weapon at all. You just…didn't want to deal with anything anymore…but you made yourself do so, because I didn't know how…" Crona holds his uncovered hand over his mouth. He felt as if he was gonna be sick.

" **What are you going on about now?!** " Ragnarok nearly shouts as he sees Crona was visibly starting to shake. Unaware of what he had just done to the teen, unaware of what he had just shown him.

Crona feel his knees give out and he lands right on them, as he starts to hunch over. The glow of his infinity gem finally starting to fade, after the horror it brought him, after showing him exactly how Ragnarok saw him as.

That smile, the gleeful look he would make over someone's life. The emotions that Ragnarok felt as he told him that he was gonna leave this whole village to die, were the exact same that Crona would feel as Medusa gave them an order to kill another person.

Anger, fear, regret, guilt. All blended together into a concoction of self-loathing.

How could he be so blind to it all? How could he allow to close himself off again? That was a simple question. Same way he could allow himself to run back into his mother's grasp. "…the soul gem draws out our true selves and…" Crona begins to chuckle slightly. "Hehehehe, I suppose we found mine…"

Was this truly what he was? Like his mother, in how uncaring he was, how monstrous. That was a blow he didn't expect to ever hit him, and it had struck hard. He looks up to Ragnarok and sees the confuse look the black blood version of himself. How the 'X' was shaped to show how bewildered he was.

Crona thinks he need to explain more in detail, only for Ragnarok to roll his pupils and offer a hand back up. " **Great…turns out I'm the pussy, and you're the selfish asshole…the world ending really does bring out the best in people, don't it?** " Leave to the Ragnarok to just 'roll with it'. " **Does this mean you are gonna stop being an asshole and use your damn conscience for once?** "

Taking his hand, and using it to help himself up, Crona's soft voice came out low and unsteady. Much more like he used to be. "Heh…maybe…maybe." He said, before he lets go of Ragnarok's hand and turns to look outside to the window, seeing the still mostly barren land.

Manipulation of the soul.

Such a concept, one that is unbearably difficult. But not impossible.

Without a word, Crona begins to walk back to the door where Hijana slept. Ragnarok calling out behind him what he was doing, but Crona doesn't answer him. His resolve has returned and with it immediately a plan with it, a train of logic that he knew was be done now.

But first things first, he must focus now more then ever. He was testing with something small, the soul of a seed.

Now it was time for something bigger.

He holds his gauntlet against the door and allows his soul and will to do the rest. The Soul Gem glows faintly. There was resistance, something trying to stop him, much like the wave that overpowered him earlier, but he pushes still.

The soul of Hijana was just as he thought it to be. Faint and weak, but still there. A faint sound of whisper is heard in his head, he almost mistakes it for Ragnarok trying to talk to him, but it wasn't that.

The voice sounded familiar.

It was trying to tell him to stop, trying to hold him back. As he tries to push it, the Soul Gem's power was beginning to lose its grip…no.

It was trying to loosen itself from HIS grip.

"No…you don't get a choice in this." Crona whispers as he digs his fingers into the door's wood. He didn't know what it was, what his own mind was doing to him, but it felt as if his own soul was again being forced back. There was no time for such a thing, so he pushes on, ignoring the voice as it tried and fail to stop him.

The Soul Gem low glow dims away and Crona lets his hand off the door, staring at the gem with a grim look on his face. " **What was that?** " Ragnarok asks as he walks up the teen, looking to the gem in Crona's gauntlet.

He sees the teen close the gauntlet hand to a fist and give a dismissive scoff. "Nothing." Crona says as he turns to face the Demon Sword. "Just giving it a little more time." He tries to hold back a smile as he sees Ragnarok's 'X' shaped pupils grow from shock. "It's all I can do for it, but it's better than nothing." Crona then lowers his head and begins to walk forward, stepping passed Ragnarok and towards the front door to the house.

" **I thought you didn't care for him.** " Ragnarok calls out, and Crona pauses mid-step, glancing behind his shoulder to the black blood version of himself. "…I don't. It along with its race could rot for all I care. My only concern is the Ma'tnota and that is because it holds the Power Gem, but…you care…and that's enough for me at least give, a little bit of a damn."

He continues forward and opens the door to the house, just in time for him to see the inner light of the cave activate. It was now 'morning' for everyone in the village. Crona reaches his uncovered hand up to his eyes and massages them.

Just now realizing what he was planning to do was gonna be with an hour or two of sleep at best. He holds back a smile as he remembers his hope telling him she had this exact kind of situation happen to her.

Then again, that was just for a test, but the thought was there. He was just happy to have something similar to her.

" **Where are you going?** "

Right, he didn't explain that part yet. "Well if I were to hazard a guess, you did something not too smart while you were out, didn't you?" Crona asks, as he leans against the door's frame while looking back to his partner.

He could immediately tell from the look on Ragnarok's face that he 'struck home' with that guess.

His face had tightened itself, as if he was cringing as he spoke. " **Uh…well I kinda…** " Ragnarok was very much hesitant to reveal but he did, but Crona already knew it. "I know you told the Ma'tnota about his gem, Ragnarok." Crona had to hold a roll of his eyes as he sees the overall shock look on Ragnarok's face. He takes a step forward and tries to explain himself. " **L-Look, I was just trying to make some things right, and it's not fair that the fucker didn't kno-** "

"Ragnarok, I understand." Crona interrupts him, holding a hand up to ease his partner. "I understand. With the way I acted, you were freight of what I might do. You were just trying to think of others again." His calm dismissal of the issue just seems to anger black blood version of himself instead. " **The fuck-?!** **Why are you so calm?** "

He steps forward and did look remorseful for what he did. " **I really screwed the pouch on this one…and we can't fight him now, especially since now he knows and could use the thing to bitch slap you to space.** "

"Maybe." Crona mumbles as he moves himself off the doorway and looks outside to the village before him. He could see the insect people as they were beginning their daily errands. "Although the Infinity Gems are not something anyone could use…each one contains a power far greater than anything this world has seen, even those unaware of their power are affected by it just by holding one. Subconsciously, the beetle could wipe out all life on this planet by accident if things go poorly enough."

" **Well then what are we to do!? What the hell can I do to fix this fuck up!?** " Ragnarok shouts as he begins to walk forward, only making it half-way to the front door as Crona holds out a hand to him.

"You will stay here." He tells Ragnarok firmly. "Take care of the farm-…Hijana. I'll simply go and tell the Ma'tnota our plight and goal, and then try to convince him of why we need the gem so badly." Ragnarok continues to walk forward and slaps Crona's hand away.

" **That's not a plan. That's being an idiot! Look, I know you want that damn thing for your little collection, but really, it seems like trying to get it would just be a quick way for us to kill ourselves!** " Crona looks back out again and starts to groan under his breath.

" **At least let me come with you!** "

Ragnarok adds on as he tries to shove himself through the door, were it not for Crona having held him back, placing the gauntlet covered hand over the Demon Sword's chest. A very small gesture but even with such a thing Ragnarok could feel the strength behind it. "No." Crona orders, this time while directing a glare right to Ragnarok's own eyes. "Look at the situation you placed us in. You had just told him about the gem, now you are thinking of coming with me to try and convince him to hand it over? At best he'll think we are trying to deceive him, at worst he'll think we are trying to take it from him."

Crona lets his hand drop and backs away out of the doorway, and steps off the house's front porch. "It's better for me to go alone. If I need you…you'll know." Giving a small smile, he taps at his chest with his uncovered hand, right where his heart and soul lay underneath.

"I'll be fine, I swear." He calls out, before fully turning around to continuing walking off, heading toward the village.

Ragnarok forms a mouth along his face, just so he could grit his teeth in frustration. He wants to race over to Crona and smash the teen's head against a rock. But he can't. He knows he had caused enough trouble, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that Crona was right.

If he came back, after just telling the Beetle the truth of his gem, asking for it would just make things complicated. " **Ugh, why did I think that be a good idea!?** " He growls out, before a voice calls out from behind him.

"Ah, Ragnarok. Surprise to see you up so early." It was Hijana, having awaken from its sleep and was now trying in vain to limp across the room to see what the yelling was about. Hearing the voice of the old ant, he infamous 'doom of the god's' took a heavy sigh. " **Yeah…just saw Crona off, as he needs to talk to your chief about something…hey, why don't you get some rest.** " Ragnarok says as he closes the front door, silently praying to whatever god left in the world that maybe things wouldn't get worse for him and his partner.

A pray that wasn't likely to be answered.

Walking down the road toward the center of the village, Crona pays little mind to the insects that tried to greet him or offer conversation. His attention was focused solely on his gem that was embedded within his gauntlet.

Thinking on how it had tried to fight out of his control

"This shouldn't be possible...right?" Crona mumbles out, closing the gauntlet into a fist as the Soul Gem gives a faint glow, as if in response. He takes a moment to try and collect himself, even pausing during his brisk walk and closing his eyes to help himself think.

There were several things he needed to remember about the Soul Gem.

How it wasn't just a beacon of power. Within it, there were souls. A countless, infinite amount of souls from places and dimensions that he couldn't begin to comprehend. Souls, which were used to tell him of this village's location. Souls that may have been what allowed him and Ragnarok to understand the insects around him.

That little idea that Ragnarok put in his head, after he had told the Demon Sword the Infinity Gem's weren't sentient.

' **You don't know that! Would it seriously surprise you if it was?!** ' Was his response, and such a fitting one as well. For who could tell the limits of something that holds infinity in its name.

A low 'heh' escapes Crona as he opens his eyes to stare right back at the Infinity Gem, the glow becoming fainter in response.

As if worried it were found out.

The more Crona thought on it, the simpler it became.

The Soul Gem was like that of the fire and seeds that he had manipulated. It was breathing, it was thinking. It is alive.

"…Let me ask you something." He asks to it, raising a brow as a he allows a smile to form on his face. "Do I have the worry about this problem with the others as well?" The Gem does not speak to them, neither does any voice come in his head. "Heh…why did I expect much?" He starts to laugh lowly to himself as he continues to trek onward, now seeing the building that housed the Ma'tnota.

The building that house's his next Infinity Gem.

With a scoff, Crona slaps his uncovered hand over his gauntlet's fist. "Fine then, if you're gonna stand in my way…then I'll move you aside, all I need is the power to do so. And we both know where I can get more of that." A small grin, as much as he couldn't help it.

The idea of the Soul Gem itself being alive and working against him. He could already imagine how loud Ragnarok will scream at him and how many times the phrase 'called it' will be used. And while this was something that could be placed under 'bad news', Crona just couldn't help but smile at it.

Of course, the gem would be alive, of course Ragnarok told the Ma'tnota about the Power Gem, of course his dreams would turn stranger. This was his life after all. All that was missing would be his mother's spirit haunting him and he might consider this being a 'bad day'.

"Don't get any ideas." He mutters, losing his smile as he briefly looks down at the Infinity Gem again, before stopping in front of the large crudely made building. He pauses for a moment to think on what how he can do this, wondering if he could be able to.

A low groan escapes Crona's throat, as he rubs at the side of his head with his uncovered hand. Of course, in hindsight he should have asked Ragnarok exactly how much the Ma'tnota knows now, if he told it about the other Infinity Gems, and if one holds them all…

Crona briefly wonders if it wouldn't be too late to rush back to ask Ragnarok, what exactly he told the beetle.

"…Hello, Mad Titan."

Letting his head drop down a bit, Crona gives a sigh of defeat while whispering 'why am I not surprised' underneath his breath. Upon turning around, he was met with the large beetle standing right behind him. As he sees the Ma'tnota's many eyes staring back at him, Crona again remembers back to another one of Ragnarok's comments.

' **Did that well tell you, it be in the hands of a giant dung beetle…who looks super pissed off.** ' While before, Crona just thought of it being how the creature normally looked, now he thinks differently.

"Good morning." Crona says, opting for a more casual way of speaking. "I've been led to guess you know why I am here?" He says, as his eyes drift further upward along the beetle's face, landing right on the middle of his horn, where the Power Gem was embedded.

"Yes, about my…gem." The way the large creature held itself, showed just how he felt. It held itself higher than last he saw, slighting changing its posture to appear larger to him, with its arm and legs flex enough to show more of the muscle it had. It lowers its head a bit more, but moved its shoulders higher. Maybe it was the years of trying to understand people finally paying off, or the Soul Gem's own doing, but he could see the emotions running through the creature's eyes.

Betrayal, anger, disappointment.

Nothing new that Crona hasn't seen in other people's eyes.

"…I like to able to settle this without violence, is that possible?" Crona asks, as he raises his gauntlet hand up, doing so as if to hand wave it casual, but really to show off his own gem. A very small threat to show that they were still on equal footing, somewhat. Not that Crona was willing to tell it about the trouble he's had with the gem.

"Depends on you. Let's take this inside." The Ma'tnota low voice was just amplifying its harsh tone, making it clear with no distinction it was mad. It tries to walk past Crona, only for the teen to step in front of it.

Without breaking eye contact, Crona quickly begins to put his mother's teachings to great use. "…No." He began, remembering the lesson perfectly, on how to play your opponent into your field. "Way I see it, we enter inside, then it'll only grow worst for both of us. I mean, I am gonna feel cornered, you are gonna be feel less worried about your people because you can't see them." He told it, while gesturing slightly with his gauntlet hand to himself and the beetle as he spoke. "I think it be wiser for both of us to just stay out here."

"And why is it wrong for me to feel less worried for my people, just because I no longer have them in my sight?" It asks, with Crona seeing how it's claws flex slightly. It was a useless gesture; the insect was intimidating enough as it was.

Trying to pretend he didn't notice anything, Crona looks off to the side and places his uncovered hand along the tip of his chin. "…well, I am only thinking in the case of a good leader, you always need to put your people first. If you're not seeing them, or near them, then you mind might wander…and you might do something without ever thinking of the consequences."

Crona is forced to lean back in his stance, as the Ma'tnota lowers its head down to just a few inches away from his. "And what would those be?" It snarls out in a low tone, with all its eyes glaring right at him. The black blooded teen had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes, his fault for trying to emulate his mother and be subtle.

"Your mate told me of your falling out." This time Crona did roll his eyes, while also giving a loud groan. "Urg…he's not my 'mate'." He says while giving a small dismissive scoff and moves his hand down to rest along his hip. "What I am trying to tell you, is that you need to listen to me, or your people will get hurt."

A low and confused 'what' echoes from the large beetle, with its anger being replaced by surprise.

"Exactly. They are going to be killed, and there will be nothing you can do to stop it." Crona watches the large beetle, tilt his head slightly, his multiple eyes moving around to see the villagers near them, oblivious to the what was really happening near them.

All they did was give a bow as they saw their leader look to them.

"Let's paint a picture, sure you are strong, but sure you can fight. But can you fight and defend? What if someone comes, and they know about you wanting to protect your people. What if they are willing to talk to your enemies to form an alliance. While you can maybe defeat them, how many of your people will die before then?" Crona adds on with a shrug mid-sentence. Not all his listens came from Medusa, there was one thing he had learn from Ragnarok.

How to pull a 'bluff'.

This was his real plan, to actually lie this time. Tell him about the others of the Infinity gem wielders, while in truth, as far as Crona knows, they were all either unaware of what their gems power or had been busy with their own issues.

"Of course, this is hypothetical-." At a sudden burst of speed, Crona finds himself held up several feet in the air only being able to give out a small gasp as he feels the Ma'tnota's claw tighten around his throat, his feet instinctively moving around to air to try and find him footing which was understandably hard for him.

"…you dare to threaten my people!" The Ma'tnota shouts as he raises Crona further up the air, its mandibles just inches away, threatening to crush Crona's head between them. The red glow from the gem embedded within its horn showed, it had more than enough strength to do so.

Panic flooded him as Crona was staring right at what could easily be his death. His mind immediately screaming at him at what he possibly did wrong all of a sudden. He cries out fearfully as he tightly grabs the claws talons around his throat and tries to loosen them in vain as a familiar sense of power build within himself once more. Thoughts were quickly forming at where to strike and how. He remembers how well he had managed to catch Kid off guard with the same attack, but Crona also knew, that this was different.

He knows that one mistake would certainly be his last, and as far as he knew there was little to no weakness for this creature or field advantage. With Kid, there was his OCD and the tight enclosed tunnels of the DWMA dungeon. Here he was out in the open, and already in the grip of The Ma'tnota.

He needed to make each move count, every trick he has needed to be used when one hundred percent needed. The Ma'tnota may not fully know how to use the Power Gem, but that didn't mean he couldn't draw strength from it.

Strength enough to destroy everything throughout what was left of this world, if it was not careful.

"I had said no such thing!" Crona cries out, as he throws his feet upward, hits at the large beetle's chest. The strike was just enough to knock him loose from The Ma'tnota's grip but instead of rushing back, Crona lets himself fall to the ground, gripping his throat and coughing.

The grip the beetle had on Crona was tight, but it was nothing that teen couldn't handle. This was something else he was going at, playing to The Ma'tnota's nature.

He was a leader, a protector.

What better way to lower a warrior's guard, then feigning weakness.

"What had become of your talk earlier, Mad Titan. Of holding my people under threat of an attack with the Red Pha'sens." It growls out, and Crona eyes widen fully as realizes what the Ma'tnota thought. Having accidentally made it believe he be leading the charge; the teen held his head along the floor and give out a small muffled whimper of shame as it seemed he was not good at bluffing as he thought he be.

Of all things though, upon seeing the teen having fallen to the floor and give out a whimper of all things, the Ma'tnota pauses and shows a confused look in its eyes again.

Crona didn't notice as he was busy trying to figure out a way to rearrange this misunderstanding. His eyes glance to the side for some idea, and he sees more of the villagers gathering, wondering what was happening in the center of town. All looking at him, with curiosity and confusion. There was a lot more here than even when he and Ragnarok first entered this town, and this time while he was surrounded, he was entirely alone.

All those looking at him, thinking about him. No Ragnarok around, he was alone. He was alone again, with so many people looking at him. His mind came up blank for a moment, he didn't know what to do. There was much more than he had expected, there was so many, he didn't know how to deal with it all. His eyes wander around, and he could see them all around him, boxing him in. There was no exit he could take, no where he could hide.

Sweat started to form, his eyes started to weaver, his shoulders and hands started to shake.

Thoughts invaded his mind, doubts of what he could do, what he was expecting himself to do. He felt he couldn't do it. He knows he couldn't. He could feel his mind and soul pulse at the thought of facing such a thing, alone. He needed Ragnarok, he needed his hope, he needed someone to make this all go away-

His hope.

The impact is what snaps himself free. One of his own making, with the Gauntlet having crashed itself into the side of his head. "Stop it." He whispers to himself, ceasing all the thoughts of fear within him. His eyes staring right at the culprit of such a trick.

The green gem that was embedded within his gauntlet.

Of course, it tried to interfere.

"…are you truly the Man Titan? You killed death, and yet…you're afraid." The Ma'tnota spoke, having witnessed and finding it odd how fearful he looked one moment, and back to normal the next. With a small annoyed groan, Crona pulls himself to his feet.

"You n-need to understand. I-I wasn't talking about myself! I want to settle this without violence." Crona stutters out to it, taking a step forward as he spoke and placing his gauntlet hand over his chest. "I know you are angry, and I am sorry that I didn't tell you about the gem before. But I need you to listen to me!"

The beetle did not even seem to notice the step forward by the teen. Instead it raised one of its claws to the gem along its horn and said. "I understand enough. You want my crest of the warrior, to try and relive some fantasy of a 'better world' correct? To try and gain power so that YOU would rule it." It throws it's arm down and lets out a loud erratic clicking noise from its throat. The villagers around them, seeming to all flinch at it.

Crona holds himself from backing away as the Ma'tnota stomps itself forward with the Power Gem beginning to glow brighter upon its horn. "I care not for what you wish to do with my crest, what I am very much interested in is what will that entail for my home, my people." Its voice raised further, as it lowers itself down to stare at Crona face to face. "If what the other said is true…if this 'thing' is what gives us Ma'tnota our great strength then the next time the red Pha'sens attack, I might not be strong enough to fight them off."

The teen pauses for a moment, as his eyes glance to the floor. He tries to think up another way reason with the beetle. "…I understand this is a hard request-"

"No, it's a simple one, but it seems that you cannot grasp it." The Ma'tnota spat his words back as it pulls itself back to its full height. There was no effort to hide the annoyance it held in its own voice at the child, even as it took a deep breath to calm itself. "I'll try and make it simpler for you to understand. You are asking me to place my faith in you, after you tried to undermine me, steal a way of protecting my people, and not even having the audacity to hold up your end of the bargain we had made for it." The glow the Infinity Gem in its horn began to dim along with its rage.

Now it was left was disappointment.

"I do not have time for this! Neither of us do!" Crona yells, growing impatient from the direction the conversation was going out of his control. "How much did Ragnarok tell you? Did he tell you of the others, that there are six in total, which are all held by individual beings. Those that have had known what their gems are truly capable and have had more time to know what they can do." As Crona spoke, he gestures to his own Infinity Gem with his uncovered hand. "What if they are also seeking the gems, and they find this place like I have. I am trying to talk through this, the others might not be so kind."

"We are more than capable of defending ourselves." The large beetle growls out as it crosses its arms along its chest.

"No, you are capable of defending them." Crona says back, this time he gestures to the villagers around them. He wanted to end this, he truly did. All this back and forth reminded him of his argument with Ragnarok. And like those, he felt all it amounts to was wasted time. Always wasting time. "What happens if you fall or worse, what about the idea of two wielders of infinity fighting one another. The results could range from disastrous to downright apocalyptic, within seconds. There will not even be a village no more, at best, there would be nothing but a smoking crater."

He knew he was right, this was a fear he had at the thought of facing those with the other gems of infinity. Surely the wise leader could understand such a simple concept. Or so, that is what Crona believes. Instead the Ma'tnota gives a small 'huff' of breath as it turns away from Crona, to its own kind.

"…or I defeat all that come and gain more power. Or perhaps, they come moments after you leave us, and we are defenseless. The answer is, and always shall be as long as I am this village's Ma'tnota, NO." The Ma'tnota didn't even need to raise its voice. It was clear that Crona's hopes were crushed and his point was made. His hands fall to his sides, and his eyes drift to the ground in shame. Only being able to utter a low 'but…' in defeat like a child.

"Retrieve your companion. I'll personally escort you out of our village, you'll be given food and water enough for you to last for some time while out there." He had tried, he really had. Every angle, that could be possible to work for him in such a mess.

"Make no mistake, I am not cruel as to throw you out into a harsh environment as up above without aid but if you return, I will only see that as an attempt of some plan to take my crest." But it seems that this day, was just one of failure for the teen. Just more time wasted for nothing, time spent away from his hope, 'going down the tubes' as the saying goes.

Crona doesn't even bother to listen to the words the beetle spoke anymore, he was tired of talking. The creature droning on about 'how his actions will be seen as an act of war, and what punishments he will be met with'. The words meant nothing to teen. Only the idea the bug, the lowly waste of space ever implied to him.

That his quest was to live a 'fantasy'. That his hope, was also a waste of time.

The beetle does not give a chance to react in time. "I'm sorry that we are to come to these kinds of terms, and I do wish you do find some peace out there, but for the safety of my kin, I must have you leav-" Crona throws his head back up, and with a scream, power erupts from his eyes.

Large twin pillars of black, drilled straight into the Ma'tnota's chest. The large insect giving out a growl of agony as the force of the attack swept it from its feet and directly into the home of one of the nearby villagers, the very foundation of the small building easily collapsing on top of him.

The action was so quick, that for a moment it was met with nothing but silence.

Than the panic surge.

Villagers panic, running off in several directions. Clicking noises and freighted shouts echo everywhere around him. "Oh no." Crona whispers to himself as realization strikes his mind with instant regret. Panicky, he looks around, preparing himself for what the people would do. His mother had warned him of crowds, and during mobs such as this they might either rush him to get passed or even down right attack him.

Neither happened though. Instead Crona sees the insects all keep themselves away from him and back into the many buildings around them, some even taking shelter within the main tower that was close by them. Crona didn't need long to realize why, as he did see others opening hatches that lead downward, to underground rooms.

Cellars for shelter.

The reason why became more than obvious the Ma'tnota roused from the wrecked of the house he was sent flying into.

The front of its chest was blackened from the blast Crona shot him with. The same one that easily crippled the reaper of this land, seeming to do nothing more than irritate him. Damage was done, that was clear as the Ma'tnota's extra arms at its sides seem to have trouble moving and for a brief moment, Crona thinks that maybe he can win those hopes were soon crushed as the red light of the Infinity Gem of Power shined brightly.

"…you…DARE!" It roars and with a single stomp forward it carried the effect the full force of its rage.

Crona is thrown off his feet as the entire cave shake, he falls to the floor and quickly needs to roll out of the way as large chucks of the cave's ceiling fell, nearly crushing them from under their weigh. Not just near him but around the whole village itself large bits of stone and large dunes of sand fell through.

Crona sees some of the buildings around them, easily being crushed underneath the weigh of both the sand and stone. They were worn and torn with age already provided little to no shelter from such things. And yet while some did collapse, Crona also noticed that there was no hint of the villagers to be seen running out or crushed from the homes falling on them.

And of course, the idea for why came to him, just as the cave stops shaking. "You gave them all places to hide when you fight." He says softly, a little bit amazed about how far the bug thought ahead. Credit for when its due, that is a good idea.

But it also led to him seeing himself alone in the middle of the street. With no places to really run and hide quickly enough, in full view for the Ma'tnota who stared back at him with no hint of mercy in his eyes and the red gem on its horn shining brightly.

"MAD TITAN!" It calls out to him, its deep voice mixing with an inhuman growl with each word. "I EXTENDED MY HAND TO LET YOU LIVE, AND YOU INSTEAD ATTACK ME!?" Crona couldn't help but give a childish gulp of fear. He fearfully takes a step back as he tries to think of something he can do. But every plan he did come up with, proved nothing more than sheer lunacy to himself.

Apologizing would certainly not work and fighting back was just suicide. "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, IS OF YOUR OWN DOING!" It roars so loud, that Crona could feel his chest vibrate a little. His own body moves on instinct alone, as Crona throws himself out of the way.

The Ma'tnota, having leap through the air, crashes down just a hair away from crushing Crona like that of a bug, ironically. But the force it carried as it landed was enough to send Crona spiraling across the floor. He quickly moves himself back to his feet as soon as he can, but Crona is forced yet again to dodge again, as he ducks under a backhanded fist thrown by the large beetle.

In an unfortunate spread of bad luck, Crona foot just so happened to catch an uprooted stone, and trips on it. He could almost hear that voice from his dreaming laughing at him again, as he quickly is forced to roll again. The Ma'tnota's clawed foot stomping down where moments ago he was at. "Stop your dodging, if you wanted to fight than fight!" The Ma'tnota shouts as Crona backs himself away, the uneven ground of the sand covered streets slowing him down slightly, but thankfully not enough to be caught by the Ma'tnota and its constant swings of its claws.

While the gem may have given him amazing strength, it did not give him the speed to match. Its large form was oversized and made him down right clumsy with how he swung himself. There was no grace with how it fought, just an oversized brute.

Crona did not have time to think up a plan to help him there though, as he just as he is about to dodge another attack, a spear comes flying through the air and stabs itself through the Ma'tnota arm. The large beetle and the teen both look to the weapon in shock, right before looking to the thrower of it.

Another insect it seemed, this one being what seem to be a red hornet of some kind. Around him was many, many others of its kind though, all of which branding makeshift weapons that were made from crude things, such as rocks and sticks to make spears, or very old pieces of metal to act as shields. The creatures all gave off clicking sounds of their own, forming some kind of chant among themselves, all before they rushed forward with their weapons raised high.

"The Red Pha'sens!" The Ma'tnota growls, ripping the spear from its arm as if it were nothing but a needle. While Crona just slaps himself on the forehead with his uncovered hand. "I'm just having a bad day, aren't I." Crona just barely manages to whisper, before The Ma'tnota 's wings spread, and it gives out another roaring battle cry.

Elsewhere, a certain Demon Sword was looking panicked as he could hear sounds of battle from outside the shelter he and the old ant were hiding inside. His hands cruel tightly into fist as he holds himself back from racing outside.

" **Ohhhh…Please tell me this is all a fucking nightmare!** " He growls to himself starts to hit himself on either side of his head in total frustration. He immediacy could tell that Crona's 'plead' didn't go so well, but the amount of noise outside was something completely worst. Not to mention how the Hijana had warn him that they immediately needed to him down to bunker, which was something Ragnarok didn't even know they had there and hide as they heard the Ma'tnota scream something out.

"It sounds as if the Red Pha'sens have arrived!" While that did answer Ragnarok's question about the noise, it somehow seems to make things worse. " **The fuck you mean, the Red Pha'sens are here!? You mean the fuckers that keep attacking you people!?** " Seeing the old ant nod its head, just made Ragnarok throw his head back and let loose every cruse word he knew, in every language he knew.

He wanted to race out, to help the Crona in the fight. But holds himself as he didn't know how he could really help his partner here.

Kid was one thing. The reaper was mainly crazy and was so out of it that he and Crona had easily managed to catch him off guard most of the time. The wasteland they have traveled along together since was either populated with strange deformed creatures or other wild beings that they easily took care of.

Now there was an army, and a Ma'tnota, which was just an army of a one. And he highly doubted that Crona was helping him fight, if anything with how bad their luck has been lately, Ragnarok wouldn't be surprised to find Crona trying to fight them both at the same time.

His attention is pulled as Hijana calls out to him. "Ragnarok, where is your partner? Please tell me that the boy is somewhere safe." The old man spoke as it tries to pull itself from its seated position on the floor, having collapsed soon after they came down there.

Ragnarok may not have been any kind of expect on heath by any means, but he knew when something was up. Noticed it the second he saw old farmer not being able to hold himself up. He remembers seeing what Crona did, how the soul gem of his glowed when he touched that door.

The news of Crona telling him that the old ant was dying. A muffled growl of frustration just escapes Ragnarok as he runs a hand through top of his head. " **A little bit of time.** " He calls back to what Crona told him. " **The one thing we never have enough of, I guess.** " With a scoff, Ragnarok shakes his head slightly and moves to kneel next to the old ant. Resting a hand on its shoulder to give some comfort to it.

" **It's a long story, why he's there, but well…Crona is most likely with that beetle guy right now. And knowing him, he's probably in the middle of a fight between him, and those red fuckers out there.** " Ragnarok tells it, flinching as he heard another loud 'boom', with such force behind it that it even causes some of the dust within the cellars' ceiling and walls to unsettle. He looks around with a wary eye, wondering if the whole thing would cave in on them with all that was happening outside.

Not like it be any safer out there but try as he might to think up a plan, he isn't able to set any ground work as Hijana keeps trying to talk to him. "Wait, what are you saying? Why would the child be out fighting? I know that the boy may seem a bit frightening at times, does he not know what danger he's in. He'll be beaten down and maybe killed!" Ragnarok sighs, as he easily stops Hijana from trying to stand up, the old ant being so weak that all it took was the Demon Sword to tighten his hold slightly on the ant's shoulder. Essentially pinning it to where it sat with very little effort.

With his free hand, he runs it across his face as he tries to think up something to tell the old ant. Already having told it one too many times how weak it was and how it shouldn't move, and now with it seemingly wanting to risk itself by stepping outside wasn't helping.

Especially when Ragnarok knew he should have been doing that exact thing.

" **Trust me, that kid is probably the most dangerous fucker out there.** " Ragnarok spat out, with such a bitter tone that it even surprised himself. It was more than enough to make Hijana stop his struggling and listen at least. " **If you would have told me before you know...all this shit, I would have said that Crona was a little bitch, the kind that would just let anyone push him around.** "

Moving his other hand away from his face, he lightly gives off a dismissive wave with it. " **No joke, kid was pretty much a spineless coward for most of his life; you can kinda blame me and his fucked-up excuse of a mom for that. Then…let's just say a certain someone enter his life. And she…she had a big effect on him, and how he started thinking. Before I knew it, because of her I guess, he turned into something else. Someone else.** "

Ragnarok lets go of Hijana and stands up to his feet, the walls again shaking slightly as another impact was felt. This time much closer than before. Ragnarok barely paid it any mind as he looked out to the cellar door they had gone down through and locked behind them.

" **I don't even know how to describe it all the way but, I just…** " He pauses for a moment as a hand moves up to grip the side of his head. " **I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment, and when I opened them everything was different somehow. Time went by so quickly, and so many things went by without me knowing. Crona told me he did things I never thought he would ever even think of, now I'm just…** "

Hijana gives a low clicking noise as it slowly repositions itself. The black eyes it had, though seem expressionless as Ragnarok's own, still seem to hold a sad look with it. "The Ma'tnota told me that he was…troubled. The boy was harmed a lot, wasn't he?"

Wordlessly, Ragnarok just nods his head at that.

"That…that is a deep shame." Its tone, as sincere as ever.

" **Yeah, that was pretty much what she thought.** " A low scoff escapes Ragnarok, knowing how much the girl would love to hear him calling her right. " **Sometimes I see him again, the old Crona I mean. How nervous and scared he gets, how he has a hard time talking about certain things or even needs to hold my hand because he's scared of the fucking dark.** " He gives out a chuckle, but there was no humor in it. It was bitter and forced. " **But other times when he becomes that 'other thing', some other guy that I don't even recognize half the fucking time! It just…it just…** " Ragnarok pauses for a moment as he takes in a deep breath.

"… **you didn't hear it from me if anyone ask but, truth is that kid scares me.** "

Letting his hand fall back to his side, Ragnarok turns back to the old ant with a stern look on his expressionless face. " **I just don't know to expect from him anymore. Even down to his soul, I can feel it. The pieces are there…but they are rearranged. Something new is there.** " He is not in control of himself anymore, as words and thoughts he kept to himself continue to pour out.

" **I've seen and live through the shit that kid could take…I've seen the person he was because of that, but ever since I woke up and saw everything changed, I saw he that also applies to him. And since he got that gauntlet…tch…** " He throws a hand up angrily and gives a low growl at that. " **By god, it's gotten worst. He's gotten worst. I…I started to think of something scary recently.** "

As quickly as his anger roused up again, it turned to melancholy. " **As the days went by, I started to notice something about Crona. I think he's getting stronger. I mean it like…every day I could feel something in him just…growing, and I can almost see that is what's causing the damn change.** "

Ragnarok's eyes betrayed his tone, even with how low and angry he sounded, the way the 'X'-shaped pupils shook told of the fear in them.

" **I mean, if this Ma'ta-whatever guy or those red fuckers take Crona down it is not like I could do much against them, I can already tell that much, but if they can, it will at least help this little bit of fear in my head…because right now…as fucked up as it sounds, I think-"** Ragnarok stops speaking as suddenly the whole cellar shakes again, this time far more with even small picks of rock falling from the walls itself. The force of it was even felt along the ground and Ragnarok feel to his hands and knees, worryingly he moves himself back over the old ant, trying to protect it if something were to fall on them. Nothing came though.

In fact, all the noises outside are render completely silent. The sounds of battle, what was heard of the marching and loud crashes were all mute. Hesitantly, Ragnarok holds a finger where his mouth would be, signaling to Hijana to keep quiet, before he moves to check out the cellar door.

Slowly, he undoes the lock and pushes it open. There was weight ontop of it, large chucks of wood sliding off as he pushed it upward. And what he saw almost made him want to pull it back down shut.

There was no longer a village anymore. As far as he could see, he saw nothing but destruction. It was unbelievable how much had been destroyed nor how quickly. All the buildings, including the home that he and Crona were staying in had been rendered to rumble, large chucks of rock and big piles of sand littered the streets. The very large opening in the cave's roof shows where it came from.

Among all those though, were bodies. Bodies all throughout the village, and near where he was. All of them were brutally killed. It was hard to tell which body part belong to which one, or even what bug they were before they were massacred. All he could make it were few pieces of limbs here or there, and large pools of strange-looking blood.

The one thing that stood out amongst all this destruction, was of course, Crona.

The teen was standing not too far away from where Ragnarok was standing. He looked heavily ragged, with his clothing ripped apart in a way that looked like he walked through a tunnel of blades and guessing by the amount of broken spear and sword-like weaponry that laid with the bodies, he probably had. What stood out the most, was the blood.

Not the strange blood that covered him and matched in shad as the one that was all along the dirt and broken bodies. It was the blood that was dripping down his cheek, from one little cut there.

Crona was looking off to the side, away from him, but Ragnarok could see the teen face clearly due to the light from outside that shined into the cave. Crona was out of breath, and had trouble standing. He was favoring one leg over the other and was gripping right shoulder with his gauntlet-covered hand.

Seeing the teen surrounded by the piles of bodies, with blood dripping off him, he himself bleeding for the first time since they had ever come to this ruin of a world, Ragnarok lets the thought finish, as he sees a smile on Crona's face. " **\- he is getting a kick out of it.** " Ragnarok mumbles out, just almost like that of a whisper.

A part of him wanted to move, to go back into the cellar and hide away. Seeing that look, was familiar. Too familiar, in a very bad way. Back when they served under Medusa, and those days Crona would just 'lose it'. If he did so now, with how much he's changed, and how strong he's gotten…

He wanted to move, but as Crona turn to look directly at him, just made him freeze. And suddenly, those three words made so much sense to him now. The title that was given to Crona apparently since he killed Kid.

'The Mad Titan.'

Or at least, the thought was there, till he noticed that it was the smile of madness. It was one of relief. He was giving out a sigh and gave a small waved at him with his gauntlet-hand before gripping his shoulder again. He wanted to scream out to him, call him an idiot for worrying him like that.

He never gets a chance to as Crona collapses on the ground.

" **Crona!** "

A hacking cough snaps the Demon Sword attention, immediately Ragnarok looks back down to the bunker. If it were possible for the frail old crippled ant to appear weaker, it sure was now. It was slowly gasping for breath, and seemed to be drooling slightly from its mouth, not from a desire to feast, but just because it just couldn't muster the strength to close it anymore. Looking back to Crona briefly, Ragnarok fully steps out of the cellar, holding the door open so he can look at Hijana.

" **Hey…I'll be right back.** " Ragnarok calls out to the old ant, who looked up to him with a confused tilt of its head. "What?! R-Ragnarok wait, what about the Red Pha'sens? We should wait till the Ma'tnota collects us to know its safe!" The old ant tries to shout out, before it begins to cough again in a sickly manner. It's mandibles barely moving and giving a low sound, before it tries in vain to move itself back up…only to fall back down to the floor. " **Don't fucking move! Please! Just…just wait okay. I promise I'll be right back, I see Crona and he's hurt. I'm gonna get him back here…please, just stay here and be safe.** " He could barely stomach it as he looks down to the old ant. Seeing it trying to move itself again and ignoring what he said.

As inhuman as the insect was, Ragnarok could tell right away, it was scared. Not for itself, but for him and even Crona. As short of a time as they spent with it, the weak thing seemed to enjoy the little time they had spent together. Unfortunately, time was never on their side.

As it was running out for the low, poor insect.

" **I'll be right back. I swear buddy.** " He wanted to stay, but as much as he wanted to, something in him felt that he needed to get out. As many times as the teen would frustrate him, Ragnarok knew that in the end of the day, when all else went wrong, as least the two had each other. Having that in mind, Ragnarok didn't have a choice here.

His body, molded from black blood itself, a strange concoction of will and soul-power that even he didn't fully get rushes as fast he could make it, reaching Crona just as the teen had rolled himself onto his back. "Rh…Glad you decided to come out and enjoy the weather." Crona, of all things, jokes before he gives out a groan as he grips harder on his right shoulder again.

" **Yeah, what was the forecast, death and destruction, with a light hint of moron!** " Ragnarok shouts back, before he knees down to see how bad the damage was. " **By the way, moron, what the fuck happened to talking with the guy?! Weren't you making a plead!?** "

Winching at Ragnarok shouting, Crona looks off to the side slightly and mumbles. "Things…got a bit out of hand." " **Where did you realize that, before or after the hill of bodies you're standing on?!** " Ragnarok shouts more before he smacks the Crona's right arm, causing it to bend slightly in an awkward position and the teen to give a low whimper of pain.

" **Oh, for fuck sakes, did you…** " Ragnarok pauses mid-sentence as he brings up a hand to rub the middle of 'X'. " **Of course, you ended up dislocating the damn thing.** **Come on, just hold still.** " Before Crona has a chance to protest, Ragnarok forcefully grabs his arm, and forces it to pop back into place. An awkward creaking sound is made as the bone is pushed back to its normal spot, and Crona desperately sucks in air through clench teeth. "Ach…ow, ow, ow! Darn it that hurt!"

" **Yeah, yeah, you damn cry baby.** " Ragnarok mumbles out coldly, as he shoves Crona's arm a bit more for good measure. " **I swear to god, if I had hair, it be white as hell with all the stress you give me.** " Placing a hand on Crona's back, Ragnarok gently begins to pull him into a sitting position on the floor.

Ignoring the comment, Crona looks over his partner and sees that he was still in once piece. "I got scared when I noticed the house collapsed." He whispers softly, while his eyes moved to the floor. The amount of worry, and how shaky his voice sounded, making Ragnarok feel nostalgic.

" **There was trap door in the old ant's room. I was hiding down there with him. He's…not doing well.** " Ragnarok spoke in a blunt, but honest tone. Crona's eyes shooting back up for a moment at the news, before they quickly move back down. "I-I…could only do so much, I'm sorry."

Rolling his 'X' shape pupils, Ragnarok gives him a light pat on his back and tells him. " **It's not your fault, for once.** " Crona gives a very weak chuckle at that, knowing exactly what Ragnarok meant by that. " **Look I just…let's just go to the bunker and we can just talk like normal people for a chang-** "

Before he could finish, a loud booming voice calls out.

"MAD TITAN!"

"… **I should have stayed in the bunker.** "

Quickly, both Crona and Ragnarok look to the source of the voice. It was the Ma'tnota, pulling himself from a large pile of sand that it had been buried under. While Crona, the invading army of Red Pha'sens, and the village look battered and beaten, the large beetle itself looked as if it had just finished a light jog.

" **Of course, I forgot about him.** " Ragnarok mumbles to himself as he sees the large and very angry creature stomp towards them. Hastily, Ragnarok picks Crona up by moving his undamaged arm over his shoulder and standing himself up. The teen giving a grunt of pain as he can barely hold himself up, even with Ragnarok's help.

" **Can you stand?!"** Ragnarok shouts out as he sees the Ma'tnota getting closer, its wings spreading open and buzzing. Even from where they were, several piles away from it, Ragnarok could feel the wind those wings were making. "Been running so much, he gave out so much power, bones hurt a lot."

With a loud boom of volume, the Ma'tnota takes off. Like a train heading right for them, Ragnarok and Crona only have time to let old habits take over, to let old lessons come back to them.

The Infinity Gem of Power glowed, shined out brightly as its wielder charged on forward. It never reaches its target, instead it's massive body hits nothing but the ground, with the Ma'tnota clutching at his side giving a loud crackling sound from its throat.

Crona stood behind him, backing away a few feet as he ready's himself again. The old lessons coming all back to him. The old 'riding a bike' saying proving very much true for him. His stance was wide, his body was lowered, with his gauntlet hand clutching to his right arm to steady it.

In his uncovered hand, was a very familiar black Scandinavian broadsword with a grey hilt, a white stripe down the middle and spikes around the guard. "It's…been awhile." Crona mumbles, as he pauses to look at the sword. A mouth manifest on the blade itself, just above the guard. " **Damn right it's been.** "

A smile does form back on Crona's face at that. After so long, this little moment, felt just right for him.

His smile fades as he notices the Ma'tnota pull itself back to its feet. No visible cut showing at its side, as it turned to face the teen, with a quick glance to the sword that he held in his hand.

"More of your trickery it seems. Mad titan, I would have thought you wise enough to flee when you had the chance." It spoke, taking in deep breaths as to finally calm itself down, before it looks to the ruins of the village around them. "Look at what's become of my home. I had gotten carried away it seems."

Crona doesn't even bother to look around. He knew first hand what happened here. "I hope to think that you are not seeing fit to blame me for this." Crona says bitterly, as he tightens the hold on his sword. "I admit to bad timing on my part, but you had been the one to bring a storm here and virtually leave your people homeless!"

That seemed to be the most damaging blow to have struck the Ma'tnota today. It with a brief look around, a low shameful growl comes from its throat. The glow of its Infinity Gem becoming dim as its wielder finally seems to calm down from its rage. "I…am at fault. But this does not excuse what you have done, nor what you intend to plan."

" **Gonna go out on a limb and guess that Crona did something to piss you off, huh.** " Ragnarok calls out from his weapon form, his voice coming off a little more high-pitch in this form. Which was something to give Crona an idea.

The Ma'tnota's many eyes were looking to the talking weapon in confusion for a moment. Distracted, and left wide open. A chance that Crona was happy to take. "He had struck me in some vain attempt to put me down in one blow. While I was spea-" It doesn't get a chance as two black pillars shoot from Crona's eyes, both of which easily managed to push the Ma'tnota back again just like before and send him flying off a wall of the cave.

" **Crona seriously!?** " Ragnarok shouts out, as Crona moves to rub at his eyes feeling them begin to sting slightly. "Sorry, seemed fitting." He mumbles out, as he brings his partner closer to him. "Ragnarok listen, I have a plan." Away from them, the Ma'tnota was picking itself up, again without it looking the least bit harmed.

Seeing the large bug's wings open up, Ragnarok gives a growl as the blade's mouth had its teeth grind together. " **Oh, cause your last plan worked out 'greeeeeeat'!** " He drags out to last word to let the word as if to let the sarcasm drip.

Giving a sigh, Crona tightens his old on Ragnarok's handle as he dug his heels to the ground. "He may have power, but he's nowhere near as fast as Kid was. We can't beat him in a head to head fight, but maybe we can make him beat himself." With a determined look coming to his face, Crona watches as the Ma'tnota takes flight. Ignore Ragnarok as the Demon Sword mumbles ' **uh…phrasing-** '. "The gem may have infinite power, but he doesn't. Get him mad and keep moving and he'll burn himself out…eventually."

" **Eventually!?** " Ragnarok shrieks out, the very blade shaking in Crona's hand as the weapon itself was trying to transform back to normal, most likely to punch Crona for thinking up such a plan, but he doesn't get a chance as like clockwork, the Ma'tnota returns. "MAD TITAN, AGAIN YOU DARE TO MOCK ME!" It's body crashes down, right in front of them and without a moment of hesitation it races towards them. "No more of this then. I am the Ma'tnota, you child!" With its large claws the giant insect tries rip Crona's head right off with a swipe of its arm. "I am my people's champion, I am in invin-"

Mid-sentence, Crona easily docks under the Ma'tnota, moving under its arm to behind it, where he slashed at the back of its knees. While not enough to harm it, the Ma'tnota did lose its balance. "You also telegraph yourself a year ahead your coming." He spoke calmly, as he as he hops back, just in time to dodge another swipe that was just barely going to touch his face.

Talking was getting to it, he could tell. A growling clicking was coming from the Ma'tnota's mandibles and its Infinity Gem was back to glowing. He remembers back to a certain style of fighting, his mothers. How she would constantly keep her opponent on edge using her magic vectors to propel herself. A style he is trying to emulate, as his free almost dance along the ground, and always moving and keeping track of himself as best he could.

He was forced to keep his eyes on the Ma'tnota as it raced towards him constantly, as he knew a single blow would mean his doom, leaving him having to rely on peripheral vision to help him lead his prey, closer to the edge of the village, and to the large cave's walls.

"Err…I swear, you will pay for your transaction against my people!" The Ma'tnota was growing more irritable by the second, each punch, slash, dive it gave, Crona continued to dodge with a surprisingly level of grace. It didn't take to its surroundings like Crona had been doing, so when it tried to charge forward again, it buried itself into the cave wall with such force that a large chuck of it had collapsed on top of it.

"I doubt it." Crona mumbles while giving a small smile, happy to see his plan was going smoothly so far for the first time in a while. " **This is fucking insane!** " He hears Ragnarok bark out, with the Demon Sword visibly looking shaken even in his weapon form.

"But it's working." Crona whispers back to him, keeping his smile as he sees the pile of rocks begin to move. "I just need to imagine what would make BlackStar mad, and he falls for it." Raising his voice, Crona calls out to the large bug, with a newly form confidence. "I must say, Ma'tnota, you are turning out to be a great disappointment to me. I really expected more of a fight here from someone with some sense, but all your doing is throwing your weight around like an angry child."

But upon seeing that the rocks stop their moving, Crona pauses for a moment. "um…Can you even hear me underneath all that rubble?" He asks out, a little cautionary, before the rubble exploded out all around.

Several of which hit Crona's body with enough force to throw him off his feet. " **I think he did!** " Ragnarok cries out, as Crona hits the ground floor face first, right by a pile of Red Pha'sens. The sting of dirt on his cheek, reminded Crona of the cut he earned earlier. One given to him when he was in the middle of the Ma'tnota battle with the other insects.

"Do not think I don't know what you are attempting, Mad Titan." The Ma'tnota growls as it arises from the ground, knocking side any remaining rocks from it as more of the Infinity's gem power was focusing within it. A low red glow form from within its body. "Angering me to make me reckless is a fool's bet."

Feeling like a fool, Crona lets another idea come through. Bringing his gauntlet hand up, using the rough metal forge from Infinity to digs slightly into the cut, his black blood dripping out more onto his cheek and his hand as a result. "Bloody Slicer!" He calls out to Ragnarok, as he flicks his gauntlet hand out as hard as he could.

Ragnarok barely gets a chance to make any remark of that, as all he focuses on was on harden of the blood, right as it flies right into the Ma'tnota's eyes. The blood splashes on the Ma'tnota's eyes and screams out in agony.

It throws itself back as it tries to rub its eyes clean, letting Crona a moment to hold Ragnarok up in front of him.

" **What happened to wearing him out?!** " Ragnarok growls out, as he feels something tugging with his soul, a very familiar calling. "Honestly, I am making it up as I go. Ragnarok, Scream resonance." Crona mumbles back, with Ragnarok not being able to hold himself a grin.

All throughout the cave, a shrill skin clawing scream echoes across it, with such a high-pitch and that it rippled the air itself around them. Crona remembers back to the many times he used in in fights, how the loud signs were so bad and how it distracted people, let them not be able to focus.

An effect, that he didn't see taken affect though, as he sees the Ma'tnota rubbing at his eyes, clearing some of the black blood that covered them. "Such tricks and taunts will avail you naught in a battle!" Crona's eyes widen as he could see the Ma'tnota stand back up.

Ragnarok increases the voice of his scream, but the large beetle doesn't even flinch. Crona fearfully takes a step back as he the Ma'tnota continue to stomp forward. Crona digs in deep, focusing himself on his and Ragnarok's soul. Their wavelengths empowering one another. He tightens his grip, and pulls his head back, and as he throws it forward a scream is roars from his lips. Their souls pushed and heave, driving through both their bodies together, Scream Resonance was a skill they've used countless times with such sheer volume that it was enough to make most other opponents be left on the floor with blood dripping from their ear, it would have been enough to do something before.

Crona could feel Ragnarok was panicking as well, both were screaming out as hard as their souls and bodies would allow. The very sound waves they were forming were themselves influencing the air and ground underneath them, the air itself was being hurled forward and the ground was beginning to quake…yet the Ma'tnota just stomps forward with no show of it. Crona understands that the sheer intensity of the sound would do nothing, the power gem having the ability to cease all force was obvious of that…it was till a quick almost random memory comes into Crona's mind. One lesson that was small, downright insignificant in many ways.

A little thing from a conversation with Marie Mjolnir. Such a little thing, when he was out in the halls and found her humming a song as she was helping someone else by carrying things. She was nice to him, so he helps by give her directions she needed and even saw fit to help as well. Someone how the topic of conversation went into music, and then sound. It was such a little thing.

'it's just so weird what people and other creatures can and cannot pick up, like did you know that a bunch of bugs are deaf and can't hear any sounds.'

Neither Crona, or Ragnarok have a chance to react as the Ma'tnota reaches forward and grabs the Demon sword by the blade.

Ragnarok is a weapon.

Not just any kind of weapon. He is a weapon made by gods, forged by beings with powers beyond the scales of normal mortals. He had been the strongest weapon to have ever been created, and even now, he was still above many others in history. Made by gods, forged to destroy everything itself out of sheer power, melted down and fused into black blood.

Even such a weapon like this, shattered into glass amount the grip of the wielder of Infinity.

Everything turns black, everything.

A drowning feeling was there, and no sound at all was around.

There was no light, there was no sound, just darkness. A void that is meant to look empty but in truth, did hold something. Something that was thought nearly forgotten, or rather had been pushed away.

Madness.

The Ma'tnota tries to speak, it's fangs of its mouth opening as its mandibles pull apart to start clicking. It does not get a single word out. Not as Crona's uncovered hand throws itself directly into it. The large beetle's many eyes widen as it sees a look on the teens face.

A look that showed nothing more than…a monster.

With a grin that seemed unnatural as it stretched onward along his face, and the pupils of his eyes becoming fully black. Crona whispers out two words.

"Mad…Blood."

The strange liquid from before, the same that had burned along the Ma'tnota's eyes…now seemed to suddenly erupt from around the child's arm. It twisted and curtailed itself, and faster then anything else it had ever seen itself, the black poured itself straight up along the Mad Titans hand, directly into the Ma'tnota's throat.

The large beetle rips the hand away and coughs, gasping as it tries to breath. It could feel its insides twisting and turning on themselves, burning as the liquid was moving through its insides. The liquid inside was fighting within him, disgustingly slushing itself around and beginning to form itself out of every or orifice of its body. The Ma'tnota tries to scream, and tries to fight back, driving a punch straight into its chest and sides, but nothing changes. It could feel its muscles start to give away, start to lock in on themselves.

It didn't understand what was happening to it, why was its bodies not fighting this.

The Mad Titan as it stands over it, the Ma'tnota hadn't even realized it had fallen over. Couldn't even see the ground itself anymore. Just black, more and more black that just continues to pour into his vision.

"Ah, what's the matter? Can't take any of the good shit!?" The Mad Titan speaks, twisting its head at an odd angle as its voice was shifting and creaking slightly. As if trying to reach both a deep and high-pitch tone at the same time. The grin he showed on his face was beginning to leak the strange liquid itself.

He was taunting it, taunting the Ma'tnota as it was dying.

Damnation.

Not being able to speak as more of the liquid was forcing itself in and back out of its mouth, the Ma'tnota mind begins to reel in on itself. It wanted to scream but couldn't even admit such a feat as when it's mandibles tried to move, its body were squirm along itself uncontrollably.

It was a trick, just another trick.

Enraged, the Ma'tnota digs deep with itself and summon every bit of strength it could, every amount of rage and pride within itself. The Mad Titan was no Warrior. A true warrior does not hide behind such tricks and under handed tactics. It will win, it is the Ma'tnota. It always wins.

Nothing can stop it, nothing!

All other thoughts are burned away, as the Infinity Gem shines upon its horn became a bright light to shin on the dark of the monster in front of it. The Ma'tnota fills a whole knew sense of power, that it had never felt before on itself. The Mad Titan flinches back as if it too realizes what is happening, before the Ma'tnota launches its body up far into the air so far up that it reaches out of the cave through the massive opening in the cave ceiling, further up through the air to even up along the strange clouds that hanged above them.

Using its wings, it throws itself back down. Fueled by the power of Infinity itself. It was to save its people, and wipe this monster away, nothing can stop it. It was the Ma'tnota, it was all powerful. It was the strongest there is.

It did not matter that its vision had completely turn black now, it did not matter that its wings had turned stiff and had stopped moving. Ma'tnota knew that it would wipe out the Mad Titan with this attack and that was all that mattered to it at this exact moment.

Pity for it, that it was not able to realize what it was doing.

That it had not seen Crona as his eyes widen and he regains his senses, as he easily realizes what is about to happen. His partner, the weapon that had seemed to shatter was still unlike any other. Though shattered and broken as it seemed…the weapon was still blood, a liquid. Something that can be molded back to its original shape. A very angry and agony filled shape, that shouted out curse after curse to its wielder as it formed itself back together.

In the end, these muscle-bound types are all so predictable. They pump themselves into a righteous steroid frenzy, thinking power is the answer to all problems. They actually believe their granite fists can gain for them what their puny intellects cannot. It is much like dealing with a child. A half ton child, but a child nonetheless.

And this infantile berserker is backed by unlimited might.

Crona was a lot of things. He was a coward, he was 'soft', he was too sympathetic, too kind, too loving, to needy, to selfish, to careless, to insecure, but one thing he was not, or never was, was unintelligent.

Four words spilled out the Ma'tnota's doom. "Ragnarok, fly up, now!"

The weapon follows his wielder's command to the best of its abilities, as it flowed back into his body and reformed to a pair of wings, right as his wielder leaps off the ground as high as he could. They were barely able to make it up above, just reaching passed the ceiling of the cave, before the Ma'tnota had flown passed them and hits the ground floor of the cave…

…with the power of an atomic arsenal.

To describe what had happened all at once would be impossible. Seismic disruption sets off a long dormant volcanic chain, the reaction continues along the length of the continental shelf. This in turn sets of new eruptions which trigger ever more devastating events along the surface of each the planet itself.

If one were an onlooker from outside the grey, lifeless planet…they would see fire that the Infinity of Power itself had caused from trillions of miles away.

When the light died down, there was nothing left of the desert. Nothing left for anything to be seen there. All expect for one thing.

" **Oh…fuck…everything.** "

A teenage witch hybrid, pull himself from within the ground. He was in complete agreement with the voice inside his head. His weapon partner who quickly manage to hide backside the moment the light had emerged. The teen was not in a good condition. The clothing on his body was utterly ruined to mere rags that barely held to his body.

All around his body, patches along his body were missing skin, showing his gray-tone muscles that were underneath. The only reason he hadn't been bleeding out was his partner holding the blood back in. Giving a little gasp of breath, Crona continues to drag himself from the dirt till his whole body was out.

" **Seriously, fuck EVERYTHING.** "

Crona couldn't agree with the voice in his head more. Even inch of his body was in sheer total pain, every twitch that he tried felt worst then any amount of pain he had ever been through before. It didn't take long before unconsciousness over took him.

It only felt like seconds though, as his eyes are forced to open as he hears a voice.

"I WON! YES!" It cried out, knowing only one creature to have such a voice, Crona allows his eyes to roll slightly to its direction. It was far, very far from them, to nearly a little speck in his view. But it spoke so loudly, that they could hear it from what seemed to be miles away. "NO ONE CAN STAND AGAINST THE MA'TNOTA'S MIGHT! I'VE WON IT ALL!"

" **What is he on about now?** " The weapon groans, with Crona doing the same as he reluctantly picks his head up slightly to look around more.

For miles upon miles, all he sees was that he was in the middle of the largest crater possible. It stretched on, and on and on for miles as far as he could see to the point that it even seemed to reach the horizon. It somewhat appropriate to say, that it looked as if the planet itself was bitten into.

" **O** h **m** y **g** o **d.** "

Both Ragnarok and Crona mumble as they see where a village was once, what had been a dessert, a cave. All reduced to nothing but dust and ash. Even the strange clouds from above seem notably dim. Crona could feel his own breath quiver at this.

This power of Infinity. The fool was lucky that he didn't destroy the whole planet.

Not that he would care. Still it cried out of joy, seeming to think that it had won, over and over again with such glee. " **It's…gone, it's all gone.** " Ragnarok's voice whispered within Crona's head. " **The old man, I…I told him I be back…I…** "

Crona hates pain, he hates himself, he hates hearing his partner like this. But above all right now. He hates the sound of that fool, that damn well killed everyone he was supposed to protect. With the constant cries of victory in the background, Crona pulls himself upward. The pain in his exposed muscles were of course screaming in protest of such a thing, but he would deny them.

He pushes himself, as always does.

As soon as he reaches his feet, he summons Ragnarok once more. Not even being able to hold the sword up, he lets the tip of it drag along the remains of everything else as he shuffles his feet to the cheering bug.

Ragnarok paid no mind, just continuing to whisper to himself things that not even Crona could hear. " **Maybe everyone is still okay, you know, they just are still underground, right?** " Ragnarok tries to speak up, trying to bring in some hope. Crona just lets his head drop as he continues to move forward. "No…no they're not." Crona answers honestly, and brutally. He knows this because, he can feel it.

He gives the tiniest of waves with his left hand, the one that held his Infinity Gauntlet. The Soul Gem does react, a flash of green light comes from it…and then nothing. Nothing happens.

"There's no souls Ragnarok…nothing around for miles, expect you, me, and it." Crona says back, speaking in a tone devoid of emotion. There was no hint of kindness, no regret, no sorrow, no sympathy.

He keeps walking and walking onward. It must have taken hours, it must have. But time, time was different for them. So short, so fleeting. Before he knew it, Crona finds himself in front of the Ma'tnota.

"I'VE WON, I'VE WON, I'VE WON!" It continues to cry out. It wasn't even looking to him, its eyes had completely glossed over. Madness had overtaken it, something of his bloods doing. He lost control, the moment he saw Ragnarok get hurt.

He did this.

"I WON IT ALL! I WON IT ALL!"

"…Have you now?" He asks, looking down to this pathetic excuse of a living thing. "It looks to me that all you've managed to do is destroy everything you swore to protect." He doesn't even need to look around to know that he was completely right.

"W-what…no, I beat you…I know I did!"

"Do you hear your people cheering, I don't." He doesn't even kneel to it, he just continues to stare down at it, watching as it seems to have no idea of what just happened all around it. Crona wonders for a moment, if maybe it was the lucky one here.

"No…no…this isn't right."

"When is genocide right." His grip on Ragnarok loosen, the weapon no making a single noise at all as they were looking down at the creature. It didn't deserve to be stabbed. Such a death was not fitting.

"No…no, this isn't right! REMATCH! FIGHT ME, FIGHT ME AGAIN! FIGHT ME!"

"Do you honestly think that it'll magically fix anything?" Crona's tone did not change at all. No smile was present at all as he thought of what to do. There was no madness here. No sorrow, no regret, or shame. At this point, nothing mattered. All the lives lost, all the words said, all the thoughts and ideas that were had, even the prize of this fight. Nothing mattered. "And you call me mad."

He remembers back, years ago. Many years ago.

Three little rabbits.

'Kill those three rabbits in three different ways.'

Crona remembers EVERY way to kill someone. He studied the book his mother gave him for that for a long time. He doesn't even need to think hard on which one was the most fitting here.

The Ma'tnota was a champion for its people. It was kind enough to give him an offer. It protected the others as best it really could. More than he bet others would expect. But…in the end…it's a bug.

And what happens to bugs?

Raising his foot up high, Crona hold's it above the Ma'tnota's head, it screams out for another battle. Ignoring it, Crona lets the words from the book echo from his lips.

"Kill with pressure."

A sharp creaking sound echoes across the crayon, and the rest is silent.

* * *

" **Was it worth it?** " Ragnarok asks, though he knows the answer already. Crona stays silent as he pushes the dirt back into the hole the he had dug up.

It was the last thing they had, miraculously surviving in of all things Crona's pocket. He didn't even know how it had gotten there, but he was somewhat grateful for it. Anything to take his mind off what happened.

It was embedded into the dirt firmly. Was place in a position where it will receive all the water and sunlight it could ever have if it needed it. It was his fault for what happened, his confidence in himself, his own mind that went through idea after idea, without even thinking it through on each one. He let this happen, and now he was force to remember how 'proud' his mother would be and the disappointment his hope would hold.

Taking a few steps back, Crona holds up his left hand as a fist. And allows the Gauntlet on his arm to glow, with the gems of Infinity itself. Soul and Power.

He didn't even need to focus. The soul of the plant was given life, and the power to grow in a instant. And from a single seed, it continued to grow, and grow, till a full crop field had suddenly sprung all around them.

"We held up our end of the deal. Let's go." Crona mumbles as he turns around. Ragnarok joining his side as the two continue to walk off, both heading towards their next stop. To the next Gem of Infinity on their quest.

Neither of them ever noticed the man that stood where moments ago they were. He was a holding a hand onto his face, showing a troubled expression. "Naked power is seldom the answer to any problem." He spoke as he looks to the wheats around him, that had just been brought to life. "I am the type who sees the future and is held prisoner by it. How many times has this little drama repeated itself to me and I've done nothing?"

He spoke softly as he removes his hand from his face and places his staff to the ground. The purple gem in its beak glows softly before a seed, the same one that Crona had found earlier in his pocket, appears in the man's hand. "I'm sorry for what has become of you all. Had I come sooner, had I interfered would things be different? My options...are limited…"

With a sadden looks in his blank eyes, the man tightens his hold on the seed. "After so many years, so many trails. How can I not get it through to you, that I'm not interested in your bullshit!" He shouts, with his voice suddenly filled with angers as he throws the seed, behind him.

With reality bending speed, it fires off like a bullet.

Just barely missing a red demon as it stood within the wheat field, chuckling under its breath before it leaves in another flash of yellow, leaving the man alone to his thoughts.

Collecting himself, the man hits the staff on the floor. "Beware yourself mad titan. Hell awaits you and all your crimes in a very literal sense." With that, he disappears, leaving the field and all around it back in silence.

* * *

 _The Power Gem_

 _One of the Six_

 _When properly utilize can increase anything's strength and durability to Infinity levels. Its wielder can control all force whatsoever, be it to shatter any object of their choosing with little effort, or to stop all matter of physical harm that can be done to them. With such an item that calls upon the strength from the ends of infinity, it is the glue that holds reality in its place._

* * *

(AUTHER'S NOTES

Wow this was a long way to write, really didn't mean for it to take so long, would be done sooner but a lot of stuff happened with life as always. I would like to thank " OneTruthCup " who helped me write this chapter, by being a proof reader for a short time. Thanks man, I needed the help.)


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